With the fire hazard hovering at high in the Bow Valley and expected to reach extreme if warm, dry weather continues, Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) officials are urging caution.

As of Tuesday (July 25), one small fire was under control in the Southern Rockies Wildfire Management Area, which covers the area west of Highway 22 and from the Burnt Timber area south to the U.S. border.

Three abandoned fires were found on the weekend by patrolmen, said Wildlife Information Officer Janell Maitland.

“We were lucky we found those,” said Maitland, “With the dry conditions, they could have been much bigger quickly.”

Lightning caused another small fire in the region on Monday.

On the weekend, said Maitland, the fire hazard was extreme throughout the area, but rain on Sunday and Monday reduced that somewhat. Currently, no fire bans are in place.

With weather expected to be in the high 20s again through the weekend, and with lightning possible, SRD officials will be on alert.

“We’re not over it yet,” said Maitland. “There’s still lots of sun coming our way.”

Maitland said the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country have been relatively fire-free. “I’m always glad when there’s nothing (fires) out in Canmore and Kananaskis,” she said. “There’s more population there than in the Burnt Timber or Crowsnest areas.”

Overall, as of Tuesday, there are 40 fires burning in Alberta, with 105,000 hectares ablaze. SRD has 142 personnel, eight helicopters, three water tankers and 10 bulldozer units fighting active fires.

Source: Dave Whitfield – Rocky Mountain Outlook