The current Fire Weather Condition in  the County of Wetaskiwin is:   MODERATE

Fire Hazard	Fire Weather Index (FWI)
LOW	0-3
MODERATE	4-11
HIGH	12-21
VERY HIGH	22-39
EXTREME	40+

 
Fire Weather Index (FWI) Summary Information

The Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI) System consists of six components that account for the effects of fuel moisture and wind on fire behaviour.

The first three components are fuel moisture codes and are numerical ratings of the moisture content of litter and other fine fuels, the average moisture content of loosely compacted organic layers of moderate depth, and the average moisture content of deep, compact organic layers.

The remaining three components are fire behaviour indexes which represent the rate of fire spread, the fuel available for combustion, and the frontal fire intensity; their values rise as the fire danger increases.

All information from the above six components is calculated and a Fire Weather Index (FWI) is established.

A fire ban is an order issued by the provincial government and/or the County of Wetaskiwin to restrict the use of fire in areas of high hazard. The order describes what types of fire are allowed or may in fact entirely prohibit the use of any fire. As the wildfire hazard climbs in areas of the province, local wildfire management areas make recommendations to the Minister of Sustainable Resource Development to initiate an order to implement a fire ban. This is a tool to attempt to minimize the risk of accidental wildfires resulting from human activity. The ministerial order is a temporary law in effect until it is revoked when the wildfire hazard has sufficiently lowered.

A complete list of Provincial Fire Bans or more information can be obtained at www.albertafirebans.com