CALGARY- Much of southern and central Alberta has been put under a fire ban, as the province deals with tinder dry conditions.
A number of grass fires have broken out in the past week, including one north of Calgary on Tuesday evening. The blaze broke out near Carstairs, causing a scare for acreage owners. Flames came close to a shop and nearby home, destroying fencing and two RVs.
Officials say the quick-moving fires can be difficult to contain.
“The fire itself is quite hot and creates its own wind systems, and it’s very, very taxing physically and mentally to keep ahead of that,” explains Carstairs Fire Chief Darryl Nielsen.
Tuesday’s fire was sparked near the CP Rail line, and officials are trying to determine the cause. CP says it tries to prevent grass fires with spark arresting devices, performance monitoring, inspections and maintenance.
“We just want everyone to be really careful,” says Rocky View County Fire Services Captain Jeff Fairless. “The conditions are extreme. We have a lot of high winds now, and a small fire can escalate into something really extreme.”
A number of fire bans are now in place, including Rocky View County which has upgraded their ban to level three, meaning no open fires are allowed. The city of Calgary is under a fire safety advisory.
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