An “aggressive” brush fire in the northwest Calgary neighbourhood of Rosedale was under control as of 7 p.m., according to fire crews.
According to a Calgary Fire Department news release, crews were called to a brush fire in the McHugh Bluff area at the neighbourhood at around 2:30 p.m. on Monday. The fire was growing quickly and spread uphill, threatening many homes in the area.
Fire crews at the scene called for additional resources and strategically positioned themselves above and below the fire on the steep hillside, the CFD said.
The Calgary Police Service and Helicopter Watch for Community Safety provided real-time information to firefighters, which allowed them to position themselves for optimal firefighting efforts.
Crews quickly looked for hotspots in the dense vegetation using a thermal camera when the fire was under control, the CFD’s release read. No injuries were reported and no homes were damaged.
An investigator arrived at the scene and the cause of the fire has not been determined. However, improperly disposed smoking materials are believed to be a factor, the CFD said. Poplar fluff is also believed to have caused the rapid spread of the fire because it is highly flammable.
Crews were also busy with another brush fire near Harvie Passage. Fire crews were fighting the fire at 6:50 p.m. and police evacuated the area.