COCHRANE— Smoke from fires in Alberta and British Columbia have been blanketing the Cochrane community, serving as a reminder to remain vigilant when it comes to fire safety.
A fire ban was in effect in Cochrane since July 29 and residents have been great about following the rules in place, said Cochrane Fire Services inspector Jeff Avery. Their actions are helping reduce the risk of uncontrolled fires in Cochrane and the surrounding area.
Avery expects the fire advisory will remain in place for a little bit longer until moisture can seep into the landscape, helping to dampen the arid conditions.
Cochrane Fire Services continue to monitor the situation, Avery said, and are hopeful enough rain will soon return to the Bow Valley to reduce the risk of fires.
“We need weeks of rain to soak into the ground,” Avery said.
It is important to follow the rules of the fire ban and practice being fire smart because the Town of Cochrane is surrounded by a tinder box of dry grasslands.
“All four sides of us is nothing but grass fields and those grass fields are all brown right now. We’re almost in the perfect storm right now, so disaster can strike at any moment,” Avery said.
There are several steps residents can take steps to be fire smart— One of the more major actions is never throwing cigarette butts out the window, and to ensure when smoking outside a cigarette is put out properly before walking away.
Avery added off-road vehicles can also spark fires on trails, although this is not typically seen in Cochrane.
Residents can also keep grass on their property short.
“Tall dry grass is going to ignite really fast and take off really fast. Even if you’re on your lawn keep it short,” Avery said.
If you spot smoke or a fire call 911 and Fire Services will be dispatched to check it out and help.
“Time is of the essence. When we do get called to a grass fire we've got to get there as quick as we can to get under control or extinguish it right away,” Avery said. “If you see smoke, if you see your neighbour is having a backyard fire, then absolutely call 911.”
When calling to report a fire be prepared to share what highway or road you are on, and the nearest intersection. Firefighters will be able to attend to the area, and will also be guided by the smoke.
“As long as we know a general direction, then we can just follow the smoke,” Avery said.
He added keeping a four-gallon jug of water in the town can also come in handy and help to extinguish a fire if it can be done safely.
“If you see a tiny grass fire never put yourself in harm's way, but if you have water and its a very tiny fire then absolutely try and put it out,” Avery said. “If the fire looks too big for you to put out, then chances are it is— Your safety comes first.”
The Town of Cochrane has been fortunate summer as the town itself has only faced two large grass fires. Avery praised residents for their diligence in helping prevent fires before they happen.
“I think everyone sees how dry it is,” Avery said.
He added there are around 300 raging wildfires in British Columbia. The blazes are driving home how dangerous fires can become.
Residents' caution about wildfires has also been fulled by more local fires, including the ongoing fire near Dead Man’s Flats.
“We’re just smoked in every single day. I think this hits home for a lot of people that, ‘we have to be careful,” Avery said.
Smoke from the British Columbia fires has permeated the air in Cochrane lowering the air quality for residents. Avery recommends trying to stay inside as much as possible and avoid doing prolonged exercise outside.
“It’s fine to go for a little walk, but just don’t be outside for a long period of time because you’ll definitely feel the smoke in your chest if you breathe it in for too long,” Avery said.
He cautioned people should also take care when visiting the Bow River to cool down.
“With the weather still really hot, we’re still seeing a lot of people on the river. Everyone needs to keep river safety in mind, we need to be fire smart right now and we need to keep our bodies healthy and keep out of this smoke,” Avery said. “There’s just a number of things falling in place right now, where it has not been a good fun, month— You just have to be really careful … There’s a list of things we have to watch out for right now.”
