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Fire Services


Westlock County Fire Services exists to provide fire protection with five individual volunteer fire departments located around the County. The Fire Services Department has one full-time County Fire Chief, five District Chiefs and over 90 volunteer fire fighters. The members are continually training to improve their skills. Westlock County emergency services are delivered within the county border serving all ratepayers. In the event of an emergency, please call 911 for dispatch of our nearest fire department listed below.


Hall 1 – Fawcett Fire Department

Hall 2 – Jarvie Fire Department

Hall 4 – Clyde Rural Fire Department

Hall 5 – Pickardville Fire Department

Hall 6 – Busby Fire Department 


The County funds the entire operation with assistance in the way of fund raising by the volunteers within their departments, donations; each department has a fire hall, fire unit(s) and equipment. Westlock County Fire Services strives to provide our residents with safety education; including fire prevention information and fire smart training. We are proud of our child education program, which offers the traveling “Glenn Latimer” fire safety house that travels to schools and different events within the County.

For more information, view the Fire Protection Bylaw.


Fire Services Key Contacts


John Biro

Manager of Protective Services

780-307-0530

Email John


Faye Doblanko

Protective Services Coordinator

780-307-0579

Email Faye


Emergency: 911

Westlock County Fire  780-349-3346



Watch the Alberta Fire Bans website for information on fire restrictions.

Always know your location and Dial 911 for any emergency!


NOTICE: FIRE RESTRICTION IN EFFECT APRIL 10, 2024.


April 10, 2024, FIRE CONTROL ORDER: Westlock County Jurisdiction.

 

Continuing dry windy conditions, a fire restriction order is now in effect for Westlock County Jurisdiction.

 

(Fire Permits will be restricted to essential burning only e.g. Small Debris, Crop Removal) 

Prohibited: Permits will not be issued for Large Brush.

 

Note: Residents who live or travel in the fire protection area zone 44 must adhere to provincial ban and Refer to Alberta Fire Control Zone Map.

 https://wildfire.alberta.ca/resources/maps-data/documents/FireControlZonesMap-May03-2017.pdf

 

Prohibited: Exploding Targets & Tracer Rounds;

Prohibited: No Backcountry Wood Fire Pit on Public Lands or Unsupervised Campgrounds; 

Prohibited: No Tiki Torches;

Prohibited: No Fireworks;

Prohibited: No Burn Barrels;

Prohibited: No Turkey Fryers;

Prohibited: No Fires using Charcoal Briquettes;  

 

Allowed: Backyard Fire Pits

must be minimum of three (3) meter clearance, measured from the nearest fire pit edge is maintained from buildings, property lines, or other combustible material and have a mesh screen with openings no larger than 12.5 mm and constructed of expanded metal (or equivalent non-combustible material), gas or propane stove barbeques.

 

Allowed: Portable propane fire pits, that are CSA approved or UL certified.

  

Allowed: Safe Wood Fire in a registered campground. 

 

Allowed: OHVs that have a spark arrestor**

 

** All devices must be CSA approved and used as per manufacturer standards. An enclosed facility or device is one that is fully contained with a chimney that has a spark arrestor. Users are still responsible for care and attendance of all devices and should reduce their use during fire restrictions and bans. Approved activities or devices will not prevent potential prosecution or litigation if the user or device starts a wildfire.

 

Supervise and extinguish all fires during windy dry conditions. If you are burning you SHALL have water, and extinguishing equipment handy and ready. It is recommended that all burn permits that were previously issued be checked, to ensure that they are out and not cause a spring grass fire. 

Recovery of Firefighting Costs: In accordance with Bylaw: Fire Protection Services, any costs incurred by the County Fire departments will be charged to the landowner/permit holder, if the Fire Department or County is called upon to respond to extinguish a fire.

 

Westlock County urges everyone to use extreme caution when working or driving in grassy areas, be mindful of hot exhaust and keep vehicles clean and free of debris as smoldering debris can fall off and start fires.

Always know your location and Dial 911 for any emergency! 

 

 

Most fires and fire deaths in Canadian homes are caused by cooking or smoking:

  • Seniors aged 75 years and older have the highest risk of dying in home fires.
  • Thirty per cent of all fires involved homes and 67 per cent of all fire deaths happened in homes.
  • Most home fires occur in one- and two-family dwellings, and this partly reflects their higher proportion in the housing stock.
  • Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home-fire injuries.
  • Kitchens are the leading area of origin for home fires (22 per cent) and civilian home fire injuries (29 per cent).
  • Just eight per cent of home fires started in the living room/family room; these fires caused 33 per cent of home fire deaths and 17 per cent of home fire injuries.
  • Nine per cent of reported home fires started in the bedroom. These fires caused 20 per cent of home fire deaths and 21 per cent of home-fire injuries.
  • Smoking is the leading cause of home fire deaths.


Information source: http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/statisticsbysubject/Demography/PopulationEstimates.aspx


Fire Safety Resources

The Fire Permit Program allows the Westlock County Fire Services to take a proactive approach to fire safety and education. 

  • All residents must have a fire permit before lighting any fires (please see Fire Protection Bylaws for more information).
  • You must either come to the County Office or contact the Fire Guardian closest to the potential burn site as listed below. 
  • An application for approval to conduct open burning will need to be completed by the registered property owner for insurance purpose before contacting the Fire Guardian. 
  • Fire permits are issued year round within our county with the exception of ‘Fire Season’ when Westlock County Protection Services may have restrictions or bans in effect.

In the northern region of Westlock County we have a Forest Protection Area (as outlined in Gold or referred to as the Golden Zone) and permits must be obtained by contacting Lac la Biche Forest Area at 780-623-5388 following Provincial Bylaws and Regulations.

For more information, please see Fire Protection Bylaw 06-2020.

Online application system coming soon! 

County residents and businesses are invited to sign up for a free FireSmart Assessment. 

FireSmart Assessments reduce the risk of wildfires on private property and the surrounding community and are available spring through fall. 

As part of the assessment process, a member of Regional Fire Services: 

  • Visits your property checking for wildfire hazards on the exterior of buildings and your surrounding property, 
  • Provides a customized, detailed report with findings from the assessment, 
  • Provides practical tips to make your property safer from the risk of wildfires 

Assessments could take up to two hours to complete, depending on area and the property owner is recommended to be present during the assessment. 

Once the property owner completes mitigation work on their property, they can schedule to have a follow-up assessment completed by Regional Fire Service.

Sign up for a free FireSmart Assessment.

Join our team!! If you want to help people, work well with others, enjoy learning and are physically fit, you may be an ideal candidate as a volunteer with the Westlock County Fire Services.

Minimum Requirements:

  • Must possess a valid class 5 Driver’s License and submit a current driver’s abstract with application.
  • Must obtain a security clearance including vulnerable sector check from the RCMP.
  • Must be able to perform physical duties as part of fire fighting.
  • Must be able to obtain the required levels of training when courses are available.
  • Must be available for 75% of practices
  • Must be able to obtain a cell phone

Please contact the Westlock County Office for more information and to apply.


Seconds Count for First Responders

For those of us in rural and smaller urban areas, we receive our fire protection from volunteers, who often respond to emergencies in their own private vehicles. Seconds count in a fire or rescue situation and time lost enroute from a traffic congestion can make the difference.

Please Yield to Green Lights Flashing

When you see the GREEN LIGHT, please be courteous and yield the right-of-way and let them through. The Green Light gives the firefighters no special privileges when responding to an emergency. It is used only as an identifier to the drivers of other vehicles so that they may give up their right-of-way and allow the firefighter to get to the emergency unimpeded.

Fire Guardians assist with issuing fire permits and educate citizens on safe burning practices. Please contact one of the Fire Guardians:


Ken Moon 780-915-9850

Harvey Provost 780-349-0668    

Roy Forbes 780-349-0139

Roberta Halliday 780-862-0178

Raegan Moon 780-206-6670


* Please note that Fire Guardians have the authority to restrict burning, or not issue a permit at all, if unsafe weather conditions exist.

In addition to the Online Fire Permit application, before you purchase Fireworks, you must complete a Purchase and Discharge Application Form available here or at Westlock County Office BEFORE you contact the Fire Guardians and they will co-ordinate the best time to inspect site allowing time for you to complete the checklist and advise neighbours of the time and date.

NOTE: Low Hazard Family Fireworks are prohibited without permits and will not be issued in populated areas, due to disturbance and safety (Community Events are Exempt with Special Previsions).

Fireworks Safety Tips - Canada Safety Council

An application for a Fire Permit for burning Peat must be made on or before March 31st in a given calendar year. Fire Permits authorizing Peat burning shall only be issued between July 1st and August 31st. A Permit for burning Peat will be issued for 30 days and may be extended for a maximum of an additional 21 days with approval from the County Fire Chief.

Peat Burning Application