EDMONTON – A fire ban has been issued for the City of Edmonton as wildfires ravage the Fort McMurray area and dry conditions continue across the province.
The fire ban was issued Thursday morning due to prolonged dry, hot and windy weather conditions.
Open burning, fireworks, backyard fire pits, cooking stoves in parks and barbecues using solid fuels are not permitted while the fire ban is in place.
Edmonton Fire Chief Ken Block said the fire ban will be in place until further notice.
“The fire risk conditions right now are extreme. The weather forecast is not favourable. We’re looking at a windy day today and the weekend is going to warm up again. And there’s not a lot of precipitation in the forecast,” Block said. “Our number one priority in fire rescue services is life, property and environment and under these conditions, all three of those are at risk.
“We know what’s happening around us, especially in northern Alberta and we certainly don’t want a situation like that within the city of Edmonton.”
Block said May and June are typically the worst months for grass fires, but April has seen more than usual.
Edmonton’s fire ban comes as tens of thousands of residents in Fort McMurray and surrounding areas have left their homes as a massive wildfire continues to burn.
As of Thursday afternoon, upwards of 80,000 people had been forced from their homes to evacuation centres in Lac La Biche, Edmonton and areas north of Fort McMurray.
READ MORE: Fort McMurray wildfire: evacuees in Anzac forced several hours south to Lac La Biche
For the latest evacuation information, visit Alberta Emergency Alerts online.
Visit the government of Alberta’s website for the very latest information on the wildfire status across Alberta and the current fire ban situation.
You can also download the Alberta Wildfire app for Android and Apple for real-time updates on the fire conditions across the province.
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