When Smoky the Bear wagged his furry finger at people and said, “only you can prevent forest fires,” he wasn’t joking.
Of the 287 wild fires burning in Alberta between April 1 and May 13, people caused 97 percent of them.
The cost of putting out those fires cost Albertans $21 million as of May 15, said Bob Young of Alberta Environment.
Smokers tossing cigarettes into bone dry grass or bushes are major culprits, he said.
Campers who forgot their Boy Scout training and didn’t check their fires three times before leaving the campsite are responsible for other blazes.
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“Some people are slow learners,” said Young.
A province-wide fire ban was issued last week but some appeared to ignore the order.
Other fires have started with a spark from an exhaust pipe or flares from gasfields.
The loss of timber can’t be assessed until the fires are out.
“It has burned some of the finest timber in Alberta,” said Young.
While no people have lost their homes, wildlife has been displaced. Bears, moose and deer are fleeing the burned out areas and are often travelling the highways as they look for food and new habitat. People are reminded to leave the animals alone and watch for them along roads.
“There’s a lot of orphans out there who aren’t roadwise,” said Young.
As some fires are extinguished, new ones spring up.
During the night of May 14, 15 new fires started. Nine were caused by lightning strikes and five are under investigation.
The swath of burned timber across the north accounts for more than 508,733 acres. The outside perimeter of the fires is 900 kilometres, greater than the distance between Edmonton and Vancouver, said Young.
The Virginia Hills fire, creeping toward Swan Hills, is still the worst of the forest fires. Almost everyone but firefighters and a few who refused to leave the town were evacuated May 13 and highways to the area were also closed.
Later residents were allowed to return, but remained on two-hour alert to vacate.
More than 1,200 firefighters continue to battle blazes. Canada’s military forces moved in May 11 to help fight the Virginia Hills fire.
