CALGARY- Mother Nature has been pulling out all the stops this month, blessing Calgary with patio-worthy weather this past weekend. But with the hot temperatures comes a warning from the fire department to be extra careful.
Grass fires have broken out in and around the city in the past few days, including flare ups in Bearspaw and Bowness on Monday afternoon. On Sunday, a blaze came dangerously close to homes in Mountain Park.
“It’s kind of alarming when you wake up and look out your window and there’s a fire,” says resident Charlie Chapman.
A passing cyclist saw the flames and warned homeowners, before trying to douse the blaze himself.
“He actually crawled down the side of the hill and was down in the trees when the fire department came, and they got him to come out so they could do their job.”
Fire officials say extreme heat combined with dry conditions make conditions ripe for grassfires.
“The predominant reason we have grass fires in the city of Calgary is because people are improperly disposing of their smoking materials,” explains Carol Henke. “The wind takes them and launches them into some dry grass and it can start a very large grass fire, which can be devastating to a community.”
The heat has prompted the CFD to issue a fire safety advisory for the city, reminding Calgarians to be cautious when using outdoor open flame devices. Open burning is also not permitted.
GALLERY: Calgarians soak in the sun
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