With the province declaring wildfire season a month earlier this year, starting March 1, Sundre fire chief Marty Butts says it's a good time for farmers, acreage owners and others to start making their properties fire safe.The danger of wildfires on rural properties can be markedly reduced by ensuring that flammable materials such as dried grasses and tree trimmings are kept clear of homes, garages and outbuildings, said Butts.Creating firebreaks by clearing debris away from buildings and any surrounding brush is also a good idea, he said.“Sure we've got some snow right now, but if we don't get a lot more moisture in the next little while, we'll be starting to see grassfires and other fires,” said Butts.“You need to start clearing away some of the debris, and do not leave all that winter firewood on top of your deck because that just adds fuel to any fire that comes near the house.“Clear up branches and the dried tall grasses because that stuff burns so quickly. Keep a nice tidy yard. If you don't have the area cleaned up, any fire is going to rip through there.”Citing the mild and dry winter and the resulting dry conditions, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) declared March 1 as the start of wildfire season. Typically the wildfire season is declared on April 1.The start of wildfire season means all burning activities in the Alberta Forest Protection Area (FPA), excluding campfires, now require a permit. The FPA includes all of Mountain View County west of Rge. Rd. 60, as well as west of Rge. Rd. 54 in the Water Valley area.Burning permits are available free of charge from any SRD office.From past experience, Butts says burning barrels can be a particularly bad fire hazard on rural properties. “Everybody wants to burn stuff when it's springtime, but make sure you get the proper permits and permission to do that,” he said.“We often get calls about tall grasses built up around the burning barrels catching fire when sparks or debris come out of the top of the burning barrel.”The province's FireSmart program outlines tips and suggestions for making properties safe from wildlife dangers. Butts recommends property owners access the Homeowners FireSmart manual available at srd.alberta.ca/Wildfire/FireSmart.“The manual tells you what to do to prepare your cottage or other property,” he said. “It goes into good detail.”By declaring the wildfire season underway, the province has activated aircraft and other firefighting equipment and personnel, including in West Central Alberta.Whitney Exton, a wildfire information officer with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, said the province is advising acreage owners, farmers and others who live in the FPA to access and make use of Homeowners FireSmart manual online.“FireSmart practices are something we encourage every homeowner to use,” Whitney told the Gazette.Mountain View County's fire protection area, which covers areas west of Highway 22 up to the provincial FPA (as well as select portions east of the highway) is still scheduled to come into effect on April 1, officials said Friday.
