A large plume of smoke billowed into the sky over parts of Calgary early Thursday morning as firefighters scrambled to contain a large grass fire just north of the Calgary zoo.
Carol Henke, public information officer for the Calgary Fire Department, said there were multiple calls about the fire made to 911 around 8 a.m.
The blaze burned a large area of dry grass near the entrances to the Calgary Zoo and Spark Science Centre parking lots, close to the Tom Campbell off-leash dog park.
Smoke and flames could be seen by motorists along Deerfoot Trail during the busy morning rush hour.
Calgary police officers were also called in to shut down roads in the area.
As the fire burned, the zoo issued a statement on social media saying it appreciated the quick response of firefighters and that it was “closely monitoring the animals.”
Henke said firefighters were finally able to get the fire under control just before 9 a.m.
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Investigators determined it started in a small encampment when flames from an outdoor fire ignited the dry grass and the wind caused it to spread quickly.
One person was also assessed by paramedics, but Henke said only their socks were burned.
Henke said the fire is a reminder of the dangerous conditions that exist right now because the grass hasn’t greened up yet.
While there are currently no fire bans or advisories in place for Calgary, earlier this week both Rocky View County and Vulcan County placed restrictions on the use of outdoor fires.
Details on all the fire bans and advisories in place across Alberta are available online at albertafirebans.ca.
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