LETHBRIDGE – An emergency alert has been lifted this morning, following a massive wildfire in the County of Lethbridge on Sunday.
Heavy winds caused the fire to encroach on the city, forcing approximately 125 homes in Lethbridge County to be evacuated.
“A lot of people in Mountain Meadows did not leave,” County of Lethbridge reeve Lorne Hickey said Monday. “The RCMP was there and if the fire had gotten any closer they would have evacuated them immediately.”
Though all evacuation orders have been lifted, Hickey warned that downed power lines in the area continue to pose a threat and should be avoided.
The fire scorched approximately 10 square kilometres before being brought under control.
The blaze originated on the Blood Reserve west of Lethbridge, and it wasn’t until around 3:00 a.m. Monday that it was finally extinguished through the coordinated efforts of Blood Reserve Fire Services and crews from Lethbridge, Nobleford, Coalhurst and Pcture Butte.
“(That) took a lot of concerns off our minds from that fire jumping the river again,” said Brian Cornforth, Chief of Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services.
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Firefighters in Lethbridge also battled a blaze in an industrial building that lost its roof during the wind storm.
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