As the temperature rises and things dry out, restrictions on fires start to be put into place.

Although there are currently no fire bans, warnings, or advisory's in effect for our area, the majority of southern Alberta has some type of fire warning in effect.

Deputy Fire Chief with the Lacombe Fire Department Drayton Bussier says they are constantly monitoring conditions for change, but there is little risk of an out of control wildfire for out area.

“Our response district in Lacombe doesn’t have a whole lot of heavily treed areas that we are super concerned about, and so we kind of just monitor conditions, and the County fire chief will make that call ultimately if we are going to a fire ban or not. It seems to be alright here, we are still pretty green, and it is starting to get dry but it’s nothing exceptionally risky yet.”

He says the fire yesterday between Lacombe and Blackfalds along highway 2A was likely started by sparks due to a passing train, which initially lit up a stack of railway ties, which can be very flammable due to their oil content.

But, he said the green conditions in the area prevented the fires from spreading any further, and the fire department was able to easily contain it. 

Summer nights often includes a backyard fire, but when conditions are this hot and dry, you have to make sure you are doing it safely.

Bussier also wants to remind you about the bylaw in place for having fire sin your back yard.

“The City of Lacombe does have a fire pit bylaw, and we ask everyone follows that. So it talks about keeping your flames at a reasonable height (90cm), keep a grate on your fire pit, keep your fire pit no less than 10 feet away from anything flammable, so your house, your fence, your pile of wood that you are putting into the fire, those type of things. If you are following that bylaw it’s usually a pretty safe venture, and something we absolutely support people doing.”

People around Lacombe County need to apply for a fire permit before they can have a controlled burn. 

If you see a fire that appears to be out of control and you are not sure if it's controlled or not, Bussier says it's better to play it safe and call the fire department. 

To apply for a burn permit for Lacombe County, you can click here to visit their website.