Fire bans to darken long weekend camping plans
Posted May 18, 2011 7:49 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Leave the marshmallows and firewood at home this long weekend; Alberta is under a province-wide fire ban.
High winds and dry conditions pushed officials to issue the restrictions Tuesday, in an effort to ease the burden for the province’s firefighting resources.
Alberta fire crews are currently battling 100 wildfires, 23 of which are out of control.
Premier Ed Stelmach says these are extraordinary times for the province, telling reporters the risk of fire remains extremely high for Alberta.
“We are taking extraordinary measures to implement a province-wide fire ban that includes the provincial parks and all other public lands until the threat of fire has diminished,” says Stelmach. “This ban also applies to private lands in rural municipal districts and counties.”
The cities of Edmonton and Calgary were quick to follow suit.
Calgary Fire Information Officer Brian McAsey says the risks are severe, even here in Calgary.
“We don’t view these things lightly,” he says. “In our own city last week we had four residences that were consumed by what started off as very small (fires).”
McAsey says the high winds and dry conditions are a recipe for disaster when it comes to fire.
Under the ban; wood, briquette and propane fires, like single burner heaters, are all prohibited.
The city has also cancelled all existing burn permits, but camping stoves used for cooking are still being allowed.
Violators could face fines between $1,000 to $5,000.
If the fire gets out of control, violators could also be responsible for covering the costs of putting out the blaze, with no maximum limit.
The last time a similar ban was issued in Alberta was in May of 1998 when a 125,000 hectare blaze broke out near Fox Creek.
