ROCKY VIEW COUNTY— A Rocky View County grass fire Tuesday (April 21) that spread into the Calgary city limits serves as a reminder to be fire smart as we enter the spring season.
Rocky View County fire chief Randy Smith said the blaze started late afternoon on Tuesday (April 21). Calls started coming in around 3:30 p.m. regarding a grass fire near Panorama Road N.W. on the northwest side of Calgary in Rocky View County, Smith said.
“With the high winds it was moving quite quickly,” Smith said. “Fire does spread and the winds do come up in the dry grass."
Crews from Rocky View County, Bearspaw, Balzac and Calgary fire departments helped battle the blaze that consumed between 40 to 60 acres. Forestry also arrived on the scene to help contain the fire using a helicopter with a water bucket to help access heavy bush areas that could not be reached by ground firefighters.
The grass fire Tuesday is still under investigation but is believed to have been started by a downed power line that sparked the grass on fire, Smith said.
He added that there have been several grass fires in the County this season including a car fire on Monday.
“As the snow starts to recede and we get the dry grasses this is very typical for this time of year,” Smith said. “The grass fires so far we’ve been fortunate they haven’t been man-made by people having campfires or burning materials.”
Some steps can be taken to help reduce the risk of fires in the county, Smith said. Actions include looking around a property and removing fine combustible materials that can include long dry grass.
“Rake it out and start cleaning as the snow goes away,” Smith said. “Make sure that there’s not leaves from the fall sitting up against your wall or under your deck.”
He also recommended residents walk around their properties and ensure no flammable materials are within at least 10-metres of a building.
Smith said he also recommends walking across the entire property to clean up items that can serve as fuel for a fire and move these items away from buildings.
“It's just making sure you do that yard cleanup,” Smith said.
He added that with many people are stuck at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic so now is the perfect time for chores like cleaning up the yard to help prevent fires.
The next three to four weeks typically are a season with high fire risk, Smith said, explaining that once the grass turns green the risk does lower.
“Get out have a walk around your yard, do that cleanup and you’re going to be much safer and we’ll be in a much better situation as we get into the spring fire season,” Smith said.
