Article content
Edmonton’s fire chief is sounding the alarm after a recent spike in grass fires started by fireworks in and around the city.
Crews typically respond to roughly five to 10 grass fires per day, with 22 grass fires in October and November caused by fireworks alone, said Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS) Chief Joe Zatylny in a sit-down meeting with Ward Karhiio Coun. Keren Tang, livestreamed on Facebook Monday.
Article content
If numbers continue to rise, Zatylny says fire crews may have to consider alternative measures.
“We need to make sure that we’re connecting with our faith groups, and community leaders, even having conversations with the vendors and those that are selling to make sure that everybody’s on the same page and that it’s really trained people setting off these fireworks,” said Zatylny. “We really need people to follow that, especially during these dry conditions.”
The numbers come as fire crews were in the midst of battling a wildfire in east Edmonton Monday, and just a week after a separate grass fire forced evacuations in Enoch.
An Edmonton fire spokesperson said the service was alerted to a fire off of Hayter Road at 3:55 a.m. Monday. EFRS crews arrived on the scene by 4:16 a.m. The fire posed a risk to a nearby commercial structure, the spokesperson said. With six crews on the scene working to get the blaze under control, it was still considered an active fire as of roughly 11 a.m..
The fire comes roughly a week after a separate grass fire on the opposite side of the city forced some Enoch residents to evacuate the area.
Enoch RCMP responded to the large grass fire last Tuesday at Range Rd. 264, between Township Roads 253 and 254. The fire was reported by the RCMP to have been extinguished around 7:30 p.m. the same day, clearing all evacuees to return to their homes.
Leduc County declares mandatory fire ban
Last week, Leduc County instituted a mandatory fire ban for its residents. Citing high wind and dry conditions, the ban restricted all open burning in the region, including fire pits, barrels, and charcoal barbecues. Leduc County residents were also specifically advised not to use fireworks during the ban.
The ban didn’t restrict any gas and liquid-fuelled appliances, such as patio heaters or propane barbecues. The county didn’t say when the ban might be lifted.
Article content
Leduc County Deputy Fire Chief Tylor Bennett reiterated that the ban was to protect the lives and property of county residents, but also addressed the impact of a few grass fires over the weekend on the county’s fire service resources.
“That’s what they do. But we want to make sure that we’re not overtaxing those resources and taking them away from the ability to respond to other more serious incidents,” said Bennett.
While the fires in the county weren’t caused by fireworks, Bennett said the service had received several complaints and cautioned residents not to use them.
“Please refrain from doing that for the foreseeable future, until we can get some more moisture and get the ban removed. It’s important that we’re avoiding any unnecessary fires and having to tax those resources for response.”
Zatylny said it’s “too early to tell” whether Edmontonians should expect a fire ban any time soon, adding EFRS continues to monitor other regions in the area and across the province closely.
EFRS will be hosting a news conference on Tuesday where the fire chief will discuss the city’s prevention, response, and education strategies.
Twitter/X: @ZacharyDelaney
Share this article in your social network
