M.D. of Northern Lights

Fire Departments

• History & Background
• Fire Ban Information
• Green & White Zones Map
• Department Chiefs & Locations

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County of Northern Lights provides three levels of fire protection services – joint agreements with neighboring municipalities, three volunteer brigades with halls and fire trucks, and five fire sheds holding basic transportable fire fighting equipment.

The more remote and rural Fire Sheds strategically located throughout the County are for basic initial fire arrest.  Fire Sheds are located at:  Hawk Hills, Reinwood, Breaking Point, Hotchkiss and Keg River.  These sheds house fire trailers which contain basic fire fighting equipment that can be easily towed behind a pick-up truck.

Located in the south end of the county are three active volunteer fire departments each equipped with two pumper/tanker units.  Warrensville fire hall was constructed in 1983/4 with an addition and upgrading done 1988/9.  The Weberville and Dixonville fire halls were both constructed in 1985/6.

Manning Area residents [from wards 4, 5, 6 & 7] are served by way of a joint fire fighting agreement with the Town of Manning with a volunteer brigade composed of urban and rural residents.  This hall has two pumper/tanker trucks, a rescue vehicle, jaws of life and utilizes, at times, local water haulers as tanker trucks.

Mutual Aid – The county is part of Peace Region Mutual Aid Agreement along with Northern Sunrise County, MDs of Smoky River and Peace; the Towns of Peace River, Falher, Grimshaw, McLennan; and the Villages of Donnelly, Nampa and Berwyn.  This Agreement is in place in the event of a fire or emergency affecting any party to a degree that its local resources would be inadequate to cope with the situation; pre-arrangements exist for the quickest possible reactive support to come from the other parties.  The MD also has an agreement with the Town of Peace River who provides Regional Fire Chief Services.

(Click above for permit information)

When is a burning permit required?  Or is one required?  Where to get it from?

First of all you have a look at Forestry’s Fire Control Zones map of ‘green zone – white zone’ areas to determine in which location it is that you plan to do some burning. 

It is important that Forestry knows of your intent to burn, say fields or brush piles, so fire trucks and helicopters aren’t being needlessly dispatched to the site. 

Green Zone - The Provincial Forestry Department is responsible for protection of public and private lands in these locations and issues burning permits for these areas.  Contact  Peace River  624-6221.

White Zone - The County would be responsible for these public and private locations within its boundaries.  Although the County does not issue burning permits, it asks that residents comply with any green zone restrictions currently in effect, and that they file their intent to burn info with forestry so it can be documented.  This way forestry and fire depts. will know there is a controlled burn happening in that vicinity.   

When fires are banned it means charcoal briquettes, fire logs and open campfires must be immediately extinguished. The only exceptions are fires which are contained in cooking and heating appliances fuelled by fluids or gases, fires contained in fire facilities in designated camping and recreation areas, and fires contained in industrial facilities or on industrial sites approved by a Forest Officer.

Fire Ban Information - Log on to www.srd.alberta.ca  and follow the prompts.  This web site will allow Albertans to get fire ban updates in Provincial and Federal Parks, Municipalities and the Forest Reserve.

The MD has recently partnered with the Town of Peace River, and Lance Bushie is now the County's Regional Fire Chief. Lance can be reached at the Peace River fire hall 780-624-2993 or the Town  of Peace River office 780-624-2574.

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