A fire advisory has been issued for the Calgary Forest Area in the foothills west and south of Calgary.
With the hot, dry conditions expected to continue over the coming days, the advisory means all existing fire permits have been cancelled and no new permits will be issued until further notice.
“It’s weather-dependent and really, we monitor the weather every day, twice a day, and decisions are based on that,” Alberta Agriculture and Forestry wildfire information officer Matthew Anderson said Tuesday. “It’s really forecasts that we go by, but we have to look at what’s actually happening once it has occurred.”
Anderson said those factors will lead to any decisions about possible bans or other restrictions.
“It’s really an ongoing monitoring process.”
He said it is mostly an awareness issue for those looking to use the back-country, as conditions can change.
But he hopes everyone will take responsibility in making sure no major wildfires break out.
“The people out in the forest protection area that spot smoke, or they’re out camping, they have responsible campfires and make sure they’re extinguished,” Anderson said. “We work together with them and that’s why we really raise the awareness and let people know when they’re out there, ‘these are the conditions’ – so they can help us out.”
Anderson adds thunderstorms are double-edged swords, as they can bring much-needed rain to dry areas and also bring lightning that can ignite new fires.
You can learn more about Alberta’s wildfire situation by visiting the Alberta Fire Bans website here.