Grass fire near Acme possibly sparked by careless smoker, fire chief says
CBC News | Posted: October 25, 2017 11:04 PM | Last Updated: October 26, 2017
Preliminary investigation suggests fire sparked by careless disposal of a smoking material
A grass fire burning in Kneehill County near the village of Acme, Alta,. is now under control.
Firefighters remain at the scene to deal with hot spots, but the threat to nearby acreages has passed.
Acme's fire Chief Brian Fradgley told CBC News his crews were supported by trucks from nearby Carbon and Linden, with help from local farmers with water tanks.
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AJ Cavasos, who lives in the area, told CBC News the fire was sparked just west of Acme at Highway 806 and 575.
"I was in my home at the time, and I saw a little puff of smoke and I thought it was just some low clouds blowing by," Cavasos said. "Then I went out on my deck and took another closer look and realized it was coming from the ground."
Fradgley said it's too early to determine the cause of the fire, but preliminary investigation has led them to believe the fire is the result of careless disposal of a smoking material.
He's advising people travelling through the area to keep moving, as he saw a few close calls for vehicles that stopped to take pictures of the fire.