UPDATE: The County of Grande Prairie has also announced a fire ban stretching the entire region, including the towns of Beaverlodge, Sexsmith and Wembley, will also be under a fire ban as of 2 p.m. Thursday, May 29th.
A fire ban will be back in place in the city of Grande Prairie, as soaring temperatures and bone dry conditions continue to plague the region.
As of 2 p.m. May 29th, any open burning, including backyard fire pits are prohibited, however, the use of propane heaters and BBQ’s remains allowed.
City Fire Marshal Chris Renyk says when conditions get this extreme, a single spark from a tool, vehicle or cigarette can ignite a blaze.
“It’s no longer about how big the flame is—it’s about whether it exists at all. We need full cooperation to prevent avoidable emergency,” Renyk adds.
High heat, dry vegetation and wind mean any spark could start a wildfire. Fires are harder to control and can spread quickly through flying embers, which may land and ignite spot fires up to several kilometres away under current conditions.
The fire ban will remain in effect until conditions approve. The regional also remains under a heat warning.
