Officials keeping close eye on blazes, still no threat to Alberta residents
Posted Jul 16, 2014 3:35 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
While Calgarians are trying to stay cool with the hot and dry conditions, the weather has also pushed the Calgary Wildfire Hazard Rating to extreme.
With no thunderstorms or lightning strikes, Duncan MacDonell with Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, said fires are going to be caused by human activity and he’s pushing people to be diligent.
“They’re going to start from people being out on the land, an unattended campfire, a spark from a chainsaw, something like that, it’s a reminder that people need to be much, much more careful,” he said.
The ongoing fires in the Northwest Territories are leading to smoke in northern Alberta and there is an out of control blaze about 100 kilometres north of Slave Lake.
There is also a wildfire in the Peace River area of British Columbia which has moved over into Alberta, but MacDonell said there still isn’t any major concern as far as affecting inhabitants.
Right now, there are 18 active wildfires in provincial forest area, including three as out of control and six that are contained.
