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Fire season means increased caution |
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Tuesday, 24 July 2007 |
Southern Alberta will never be mistaken for Vancouver in terms of the level of precipitation our area receives.
Sure, we have come to expect the seemingly more-than-occasional flood the last few years but more often than not, our summers tend to be quite dry.
This summer, as temperatures have soared, which included a high of 37 degrees Celsius on Monday, conditions outside are tinder dry.
Ditches, fields and native grasslands are now more susceptible to fire than they have been in years.
As the spring and early summer rainfall we received is now a thing of the past, people need to pay close attention to their activities outside.
With no rain in the immediate forecast, and the weatherman calling for temperatures of 30 degrees plus the rest of this week and into next week, conditions are right for a major fire.
This raises the ante for those who regularly spend time in the outdoors and the wilderness.
People need to go above and beyond in terms of being cautious with fire.
As stated in the front-page story of the Taber Times this week, something as small as heat from the undercarriage of an all-terrain vehicle coming in contact with the dry landscape could cause a major blaze.
A lot of times, things which people may take for granted, like a simple camp fire, can turn into a very major fire hazard.
Often times, it is the most simple of actions, seemingly innocent at the time, that end up causing the most destructive and costly fires.
Notwithstanding the costs involved with fighting these fires, there is the human element to consider.
Firefigthers, the vast majority of them who are volunteers, need to be summoned to battle these blazes, which takes them away from their families and away from their jobs.
No one wants to see a dedicated volunteer being forced to spend hours upon hours dealing with a fire which could have easily been prevented from starting.
Aside from the manpower and financial costs involved, one also has to consider the potential a vast grass fire, the most popular type of all-encompassing blaze on the prairies, would have to damage local crops. With all of this in mind, it is of the utmost importance for people to take care this summer.
Obey fire bans and take care in areas where small fires are allowed.
No one wants to be responsible for a fire that gets out of control and causes a large amount of damage, and with the co-operation of everyone, lets hope no one will have to be. |
