The arrival of spring doesn't just bring the return of birds, longer days, and warmer weather.
As Cochrane residents experienced last week, the post-winter months are a prime time for grass fires, which can pose danger to people and property alike.
A grass fire emerged in the East End and Gleneagles area on April 8, south of Highway 1A. While the cause and origin of the fire remain under investigation as of press time, the dry conditions prompted the Town of Cochrane to issue a fire advisory.
The April 8 fire was a reminder that we have officially entered grass fire season. Living in the prairies, it's reasonable to expect to see more headlines in the future about wild fires spreading.
A grass fire west of Calgary was burning out of control on March 31, and only the combined efforts of fire crews and neighbouring ranchers were able to keep the blaze from destroying plenty of property. Yet another recent grass fire was reported in Calgary's Edworthy Park.
As Sparky would remind you, there are ways to prevent grass fires. Most are certainly preventable, and the root cause of many grass fires is unfortunate human behaviour. Flicking a cigarette butt out the window while driving or carelessly and improperly burning garbage in a burn barrel, for example, are two ways these kinds of fires can start. And once they start, they're hard to stop.
The Town of Cochrane and Rocky View County each issued a fire advisory in response to recent fires, due to the dry and windy weather that is forecasted to persist. As of press time, the fire advisories were still in effect, meaning all existing fire permits are suspended (except for acceptable burn barrels and incinerators), and new fire permits will not be issued until conditions improve.
We would plead with our readers to abide by the advisory, details of which can be found on both CochraneToday.com or Cochrane.ca
