Continued dry conditions and a string of grass fires throughout the province led to Rocky View County (RVC) to issue a fire ban until conditions improve. The ban went into place April 19, according to Rocky View Fire Services Department Chief Randy Smith.
“Things as simple as broken glass in the sunshine of the season, with grass, it’s gasoline,” he said. “The ground was wet but now the ground has dried up and we’ve started to see some very major fires (around) Rocky View County.”
Fire crews responded to a large grass fire southeast of Balzac April 18. The fire destroyed a number of pieces of farm equipment and crews focused on maintaining the structures on the property.
“It took quite a bit of time to get it under control,” Smith said. “There were some older cars on the property, and other items impacted by the grass fire. The high winds and dry grass had (crews) on scene into the evening working on hot spots.”
There were no injuries as a result of the fire, according to Smith. The cause of the fire remains unknown with no obvious “smoking gun.”
“There was no definitive cause. The area of origin where the fire started, which was down along the tracks, nothing pointed at any specific cause,” he said. “It was a bright sunny day. It could’ve been a broken bottle, a train, somebody with (a lighter or matches).
“There’s a number of possibilities, given where it was.”
That same day, crews responded to a number of small grass fires in the same area. Crews worked from approximately 10 a.m. until midnight, according to Smith.
“The severity of the fires we’ve seen, and based on the information (around the province), it was time to lock it down (with the fire ban),” he said. “If we don’t get rain soon, the conditions are just going to get worse. It’s a pre-emptive strike.”
Fire bans include a suspension on all burning permits, including incinerators, solid fuel barbecues, recreational camp fires and burning barrels. Exceptions include camp stoves, internal household fireplaces and liquid fuel barbecues.
Individuals who proceed with banned activities could face a $1,000 fine. If emergency response teams are required to extinguish fires, those costs could also be borne by the individual responsible for the fire.
“If somebody’s not paying attention, there is that high potential someone will be injured from this,” Smith said. “We encourage everyone to be fire smart, to know the conditions are extremely dry and a moment of inattention could affect you for the rest of your life. Heed the fire ban, and make sure you’re not having open fires right now.”
Smith said the fire ban will continue until conditions approve. For more information, visit rockyview.ca
