Coming up with a unique angle on an annual public reminder about an issue like fire season can be challenging.
But sometimes, an approach falls right into a writer's laps.
As everyone most likely already knows ó or should know by now ó it's fire season.
It has been since March 1.
However, what might not be as commonly known is that for the past several years, fire seasons have started out drier and earlier than the last.
"The fire potential has been increasing each year for the last few years," said Barry Shellian, a wildfire information officer with Alberta's Department of Agriculture and Forestry, later adding, "This is the fourth year we've started the fire season one month early."
That's rather disconcerting, and essentially means people should exercise even greater caution than usual when enjoying a campfire or burning a pile of dead brush and branches on their land.
Last year, more than 80 per cent of wildfires in the Rocky Forest Area were the result of human negligence.
"That means 80 per cent of the wildfires in the area didn't need to happen at all," said Shellian. Throughout the province, people caused 60 per cent of last year's wildfires, he added.
Don't let the recent snowfalls fool you either ó the amount of moisture the ground receives from snow is minimal. And until all the ground frost has thawed, melting snow will mostly run off, potentially preventing the moisture from being absorbed into the ground, he said.
"Rain would actually be preferred right now."
But it'll take more than this past weekend's light rainfall to really reduce the risk of wildfire in the region.
So that means it's up to us.
Whether you're a recreational land user who enjoys heading out into the West Country with some friends to spend some time camping around a fire under a starry sky, or you're a landowner with a burn pile to clear debris, never take fire safety for granted or take any shortcuts. Saving a few seconds or minutes isn't worth risking a wildfire.
Fire is a force of nature to be reckoned with, especially once it's out of control, and should thus be recognized as such.
Campfires and burn piles both have the potential to trap heat underground, and although the blaze might appear to be out from the surface, it could potentially continue to smoulder underground.
So never do a rush job of extinguishing a fire ó a quick dousing from a bucket of water is probably not sufficient to really snuff out the blaze.
As officials put it, "soak it, stir it and soak it again."
No one wants to be responsible for starting a devastating fire that results at best in loss of land and property or at worst, life. And if we take the proper precautions, no one has to be.
Visit albertafirebans.ca or call 1-866-394-3473 (FYI-FIRE) for the latest information on fire bans in the province.
ó Simon Ducatel, Round Up editor
