Sundre fire Chief Marty Butts is urging residents across the region to clear their property of dead grass, leaves, and other flammable materials ahead of the upcoming grassfire season.
For those burning garbage in Mountain View and Red Deer counties, take precautions, he said.
“If you do have a burning pit or a burning barrel, keep it in a nice area where there's not dry grass around it and either put some gravel around it or keep it where it's not going to be a problem if something falls out of it,” Butts said.
Better yet, use an incinerator that prevents the embers from flying out, said Lynn Roberts, public education officer for the Olds fire department.
Farmers burn more than just garbage in their fields. Roberts said it is an accepted practice to torch unharvested crops from the previous year.
When lighting a field on fire, he said it's a good idea to use a cultivator to roll up the dirt surrounding the site, creating a control area.
“The field can burn but it won't get past that control area because you can't be every place at the same time,” Roberts said. “Typically a farmer lights it on fire, he's by himself, he starts the fire, goes somewhere else, so he can't be everywhere.”
According to Roberts, the Olds fire department is preparing for the season by getting its equipment ready.
One tool used for grassfires is a bush buggy, a one-tonne truck that can drive through fields, carry hundreds of litres of water and spray on the move, he said.
Others include brooms, shovels and backpacks that workers can use to spray water.
Rural fires can present a challenge for crews, sometimes occurring in areas that are not accessible by truck. When that happens, firefighters must drag hoses through the scene, Roberts said.
“If the terrain changes, our tactics have to change,” he said.
The timing of grassfire season changes every year and while this winter's extended chill may shorten it, a spike in temperatures could change that.
“It seems like this winter isn't one to go away very easily for us,” Butts said. “But it could change in a week or so, couple weeks if we get some decent weather, hot weather, you could dry up pretty quick.”
Butts said he expects the season to start within three weeks.
The chief said one cause of grassfires is when people toss cigarettes out their windows as they drive by.
Burning barrels that are surrounded by tall, dry grass also pose a risk, he said.
In other cases, particularly in Olds, Didsbury and Carstairs, grassfires can start at railroad tracks, where sparks from a passing train can set debris aflame, Butts said.
Less common, fires can start when trees fall onto power lines, he continued.
“But mainly just people not being careful enough. Not putting their cigarettes out properly and throwing them out the windows,” he said. “You drive down the roads, I still see people throwing them out. In the winter, it's not a big deal but they don't change their habits in the summertime or springtime either when the grass is really dry and ready to light up.”
