The fire advisory for Rocky View County is over for now and the recent grass fire in GlenEagles is out, but the risk of fire still remains.
Even after a few days of light snow, Cochrane Fire Services inspector Jeff Avery said conditions are still dry and now is not the time for public complacency.
"Very seldom, especially in town, is a lightning strike or anything like that going to cause this kind of fire," said Avery, near the site of the recent blaze. "Most grass fires are human error."
The fire advisory put in place April 7 was lifted because of the onset of cold weather and light flurries, but until green grass is widespread and the trees are green, grass fire season is far from over.
"Even though there's no fire advisories in place, when you see conditions like this, it's still completely dangerous with the amount of urban grasslands and forestry we have," he said. "It's important to always be cautious."
The investigation into what caused the grass fire to spark in the East End and GlenEagles area of Cochrane April 8 is still ongoing, said Avery. It could have been as simple as someone throwing a cigarette butt out their vehicle window or while out walking.
"That's a big one," said the fire inspector. "Never throw your cigarette butts out the window.
"There have been a number of cases where cigarette butts will start fires, so be very mindful of that."
For residents who like to enjoy a fire in their backyard pits, they should always follow Town regulations and be diligent of fire bans and what can and can't be burned.
The Town of Cochrane allows for the use of residential fire pits while a fire ban is not in place, but burning yard waste within town limits is never permitted and a means of extinguishing the fire should always be on hand.
Fire pits should be located at least three metres away from homes, fences and hedges, and one metre away from gas lines and utilities. They should have enclosed sides between 15 to 60 centimetres high, made from bricks, concrete or heavy gauge metal, and they should never be placed directly under any overhead lines.
The Town's guidelines also require pits to have a spark retention mesh screen with a grid no larger than 1.25 centimetres.
Whether having a fire at home, in a permitted pit at a public park or at a campground, people should never leave a fire unattended.
"If it's cold to the touch, then you know your chances of rekindling are very small," said Avery. "It is up to you to make sure that they're completely out before you leave."
The tried and true campfire safety rule of 'soak it, stir it, soak it again,' is a good one to follow.
"If you put your hand in there and it still feels warm, keep pouring water on it," Avery said.
"And if you see any kind of smoke or fire where there shouldn't be, that looks suspicious, call 911 and we'll go check it out."
