The County of Grande Prairie is implementing a fire ban that includes the towns of Beaverlodge, Sexsmith, and Wembley.
As of 1:00 p.m. on May 8th, all outdoor fires will be prohibited, existing burning permits will be revoked, and no new fire permits will be issued until the ban is lifted. Additionally, the county is requiring all fires currently burning to be extinguished immediately.
Officials say the ban comes due to the hot, dry, and windy weather conditions and lack of forecasted precipitation in the region.
Under the ban, recreational fire pits, barbeques that use charcoal, open pit burning, burning barrels, burning of refuse, brush piles, and fireworks are prohibited; however, propane appliances such as barbeques are allowed under the ban. Additionally, industry open pit flaring will be suspended.
The ban will remain in place until conditions change, and a full list of fire restrictions and bans in place across the province is available on the Alberta Fire Bans’ website.