‘Extreme fire risk' prompts more fire bans for parts of southern Alberta
Concern over increasing fire dangers in southern Alberta has prompted Lethbridge County and Vulcan County to put fire bans in place, which means all fire permits are cancelled and all burning is now prohibited.
This includes recreational campfires, backyard burning barrels, charcoal barbecues, fireworks or any open flame.
Use of certain items, such as propane stoves and gas firepits, is still allowed. Full details can be found on the websites for Lethbridge County and Vulcan County.
Heath Wright, the director of emergency services for Lethbridge County, said the decision to implement a fire ban was made because of the rising temperatures, windy conditions and the growing number of wildfires in the province, which he described as 'quite alarming.'
'A lot of people don't realize that one of our key seasons for wildfire is spring because of the Chinook winds and the heat fluctuating so much,' said Wright.
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'And even though it's green out and it looks great and there's lots of moisture, the fire signs behind it is indicating that we are in extreme risk and the vegetation is dry even though is green.'
Soaring temperatures combined with strong winds and low humidity have created extreme fire danger across most of Alberta. Global News
The City of Lethbridge also put a fire ban in place earlier this week, saying warm weather conditions and low humidity have significantly elevated the fire risk.
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The provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan have also declared a provincial state of emergency because of the number of fires burning in those areas.
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Heath Wright, director of emergency services for Lethbridge County, said the decision to implement a fire ban was made in communication with fire officials in other jurisdictions. Global News
'It's one of the check boxes that we look at for other regions across Canada,' Wright said. 'We talk to officials. We're always in communication.
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'We always look at our brothers and sisters and collaborate and make sure that we're all doing this because it's not just our fight, it's everybody's fight.'
Residents of the Lethbridge area are also being asked to exercise extreme caution when disposing of smoking materials because they can easily ignite dry vegetation, starting a wildfire that can quickly get out of control.
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