With an unusually warm winter comes safety concerns.
After two vehicles broke through the ice at Ghost Lake during the first two weeks of March, officials are urging that everyone practices caution during the early spring.
“Right now the ice pack is very thin and people need to be mindful of the weather. It is not recommended to go on any body of water,” said RCMP Sgt. Jeff Campbell.
It has been an exceptional season with few snowfalls and an abundance of Chinooks, mimicking early spring conditions and bringing along potential hazards.
The first vehicle went through on March 5, reported at 6 p.m. The SUV broke through the ice and was pulled out with the help of a tow truck. The second vehicle went through on March 7 at 10:30 a.m. The second SUV was reported to have extensive damage and likely to be written-off. No injuries were reported in either accident.
The Eagle sat down with Cochrane safety codes officer Jeff Avery to discuss how to stay safe during the warm weather.
- Stay off the ice.
“I would not recommend any body of water right now, whether it is frozen over or not. With temperatures up in the high degrees there are just way too many soft spots and it is just too unpredictable how thick the ice is now,” Avery warned.
With the warm weather, fire hazard levels are going up. A large grass fire, reportedly caused by someone burning refuse on their property, shut down Highway 22 for a couple of hours on March 7. Fire officials are warning it’s time to observe fire safety regulations.
- Make sure fire pits are put out properly.
“Be very careful with backyard fire pits and open flames anywhere. Grass fire season is definitely among us, there is just dry grass and dry bushes everywhere – so please be completely sure the fire is out when you leave,” Avery said.
- Dispose of cigarette butts properly.
“Everything is so dry right now, don’t be throwing cigarette butts out the window. We are also asking that people don’t butt their cigarettes out in pots with peat moss or fertilizer because that is a high cause of deck fires,” Avery said.
It is unknown how long the dry conditions will last, but officials want to urge everyone to practise ice and fire safety during the warm weather.
“Everyone should be enjoying the weather but we need just a little extra caution,” Avery said.
To keep updated on the town’s ice conditions or for more information about fire safety, go to the Town of Cochrane’s website at cochrane.ca
