OLDS — As we round into spring, it’s time once again to watch out for any conditions that could create grass fires, Olds Fire Department Chief and the town's director of protective services Justin Andrew says.
A grass fire that broke out in the Harmattan area of Mountain View County last week underlines the risk.
Olds firefighters helped Sundre firefighters douse that blaze. They were on-scene for about seven hours. About 150 acres of land was burned east of Highway 22 and south of the intersection with Highway 27.
“Our advice to residents is that even with the soil being moist at this time of year, the surface fuels, such as grass and foliage, are extremely dry and burn readily,” Andrew wrote in an email.
“Wind can cause fire to spread quickly and if you do not have adequate control measures in place it can get out of hand. We always recommend that fires are supervised constantly and that particular attention is paid to weather forecasts.”
Noting public safety is their job, Andrew said Olds firefighters are always vigilant, watching out for conditions that could spark grass fires.
“We encourage early activation of extra resources so we can attempt to keep fires small," he wrote.
