A fire ban is in effect across Alberta as a massive blaze continues to burn in and around Fort McMurray and the rest of the province remains dry.
Alberta Environment and Parks Minister Shannon Phillips and Agriculture and Forestry Minister Oneil Carlier announced yesterday that all fire permits in the province have been suspended and no new ones will be issued until further notice.
Open fires, campfires and use of charcoal briquettes are all prohibited and the ministers urged Albertans to curtail use of off-highway vehicles to avoid risk of sparks.
Read Also
Prairie forecast: Active pattern continues with mostly-dry west, wet start for east
The active pattern that we saw last week looks to continue into this forecast period which means more chances for rain, possibly some wet snow and a continuation of the temperature rollercoaster ride.
The province’s fire fighters are focused on fighting the blaze near Fort McMurray so any other fires would stretch available manpower. About 80,000 people have been evacuated from that region and the fire there continues to grow.
“Our firefighters are currently focused on fighting wildfires across the province, including the estimated 85,000-hectare fire near Fort McMurray,” said Carlier in a May 5 news release.
“With extreme fire hazard conditions persisting, it is prudent that we take these steps to help reduce the risk of additional fires.”
The fire ban applies to all provincial parks and recreation areas but does not apply to cities, towns or national parks.
However, many of those have implemented their own fire bans in light of current conditions and manpower challenges.
A website at https://www.albertafirebans.ca/ gives information on fire bans. More information is available at 1-866-394-3473.
barb.glen@producer.com
