Albertans reminded wildfire season begins March 1
CBC News | Posted: February 15, 2017 9:42 PM | Last Updated: February 16, 2017
Province estimates humans caused 60 per cent of last year's wildfires
Wildfire season begins March 1 and the province is reminding Albertans to help prevent devastating forest fires like 2016's Fort McMurray wildfire.
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Oneil Carlier made the announcement at a news conference Wednesday in Edmonton.
The start of the fire season has traditionally been April 1.
Last year it started on March 1, but that was under a ministerial order issued after a mild and dry winter.
Now, the amended Forest and Prairie Protection Act stipulates that the fire season begins March 1 and runs until Oct. 31.
"We have made that legislative change because over the past few years winters have been drier," Carlier said.
The minister said human activity caused 60 per cent of Alberta's wildfires last year.
"Last year we saw tragically what a wildfire that was likely human caused can do to a community," Carlier said. "The way that a wildfire burned into Fort McMurray was the result of extreme early spring conditions."
The province suspects humans caused last year's Fort McMurray wildfire.
It destroyed more than 2,400 homes and prompted one of Canada's largest evacuations. The fire, which is still smoldering, covered 589,552 hectares of forest.
In total last year in Alberta, wildfires burned more than 611,000 hectares of forest.
March 1 is when improvements to the Forest and Prairie Protection Act take effect.
The government has increased penalties for abandoning campfires or burning during fire bans. Carlier said the changes to the act restrict "higher-risk activities" such as fireworks and ATV rides in forested areas.
Alberta wildfire information officer Travis Fairweather and his staff demonstrated how an ATV's engine can get so hot it ignites dry grass. Fairweather said these sparks can easily spread to dry bush or forest.
"It's important for Albertans to know it doesn't matter what the manufacturers do," Fairweather said, "They're still going to have to clean that debris off and keep the quads clean."