Crews pushed to limit fighting wildfires, Alberta issues widespread fire ban

While Calgarians have been enjoying the warm and dry weather, Alberta’s firefighters have been busier than usual and officials have now ordered a full out fire ban in all of Alberta’s forests.

The ban includes all open fires, campfires, and charcoal briquettes, while portable propane fire pits and gas or propane stoves designed for cooking are allowed.

As of Monday morning, over 30 wildfires were burning — six of which were classified “out of control.”

Geoffrey Driscoll, Wildfire Information Officer with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, says the blazes have virtually all been human caused.

He says they’ve had about one and half times the amount of fires so far this year, as they did last year, and are still well above the five year average.

“With the lightning we’re expecting over the next little while, we’re going to have fires that are going to be coming. They’re unavoidable. However, our firefighters are stuck right now, fighting a number of different fires that were completely avoidable,” Driscoll said.

Although the City of Calgary is not currently under a fire ban, citizens are still asked to take precautions.

Fire Spokesperson Carol Henke says improperly disposed cigarettes can cause a lot of damage.

“Do not put your cigarette butts in planter pots, in your mulch, in your flower beds, any type of vegetation,” she said. ‘When a fire starts on the outside, the smoke alarm doesn’t activate until there’s smoke actually in the house. I mean, we’ve responded to homes where the whole side of the home is on fire, and the smoke alarm did not activate.”

When it comes to backyard fire pits, Henke says know the by-laws, respect your neighbours, and never leave a fire unattended.

 

The fire ban applies to the Forest Protection area.

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