MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - Provincial officials elevated the wildfire danger rating to high across the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area Saturday due to warm and windy conditions.
Parts of Mountain View County are included in the forest area, namely west of Sundre and Bergen, covering Coal Camp and Bearberry west of Range Road 60 from Township Road 312 to the north boundary.
While some parts of the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area in higher elevations are still experiencing cooler temperatures and some snow coverage resulting in low to moderate wildfire danger, the lower-lying areas have little to no snow and dry, exposed vegetation, the province said in its April 26 update for the area.
“These areas are at greater risk of wildfires, as the combination of dry vegetation and strong winds creates ideal conditions for fires to ignite, spread quickly and become difficult to contain, especially when moving through dead and dry grass,” the update noted.
A fire advisory was issued for the Rocky Mountain House Forest Area Thursday, April 24 and remains in effect.
While existing fire permits remain valid, new permits will be issued on a case-by-case basis.
On Friday, the provincial crews responded to several new wildfire starts including one mutual aid wildfire where crews and air operations are supporting the Samson Cree First Nation in the Maskwacis.
Another portion of Mountain View County is in the Calgary Forest Area, namely west of Range Road 54 from Township Road 310 to the south boundary of the county west of Water Valley.The wildfire danger in the Calgary Forest Area was elevated to high on Friday.
