Ken Melnyk,
Fire Chief,
Town of High Prairie

March is Wildfire Awareness Month. The Office of the Fire Commissioner is focused on wildfire safety, reminding Albertans to do their part to reduce the risk of wildfires.

To help share this information, we’ve developed the following public education resources: and Alberta FireSmart are all working to help raise awareness about wildfire – Wildland Urban Interface and grass fires.

During the 2017 fire season, which starts on March 1 of each year, the Alberta government responded to 1,231 wildfires. The Office of the Fire Commissioner, municipalities and fire departments across Alberta, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, burned more than 49,134 hectares. Preparing for the threat of wildfire is a shared responsibility. Here is how you can do your part:

* Dispose of debris and lawn clippings quickly to reduce fuel for fire. Don’t let them linger;

* Clear leaves and other vegetative debris from roofs, gutters, porches and decks. This helps prevent embers from igniting your home;

* Remove dead vegetation and other items from under your deck or porch, and within 10 feet of the house;

* Remove flammable materials [wood piles, propane tanks] within 30 feet of your home’s foundation and outbuildings, including garages and sheds. If it can catch fire, don’t let it touch your house, deck or porch;

* Prune trees so the lowest branches are 6-10 feet from the ground. Wildfire can spread to tree tops.

Remember, as of March 1 fire permits are required in our area. Fire permits do three very important things:

1. They let wildfire detection staff know where authorized fires are planned.
Remember these folks? Well, one of the main things our wildfire observers are looking for is smoke. If they see smoke where there shouldn’t be fire, they’ll report it, which means our wildland firefighting crews and local fire departments will swing into action.

2. They help us send our resources where they are needed, and avoid false alarms.
We send our firefighting crews and resources to a potential wildfire site immediately. Waiting to see if it’s a false alarm can cost precious time. Sending crews and airplanes to burn piles that don’t have permits ties up these resources when they could be needed to fight real wildfires elsewhere.

3. They help us notify you if conditions change.
There are a variety of reasons why the fire hazard in your area might go up, and you might not notice them as they’re happening. If we have your permit information, we can notify you, so you can put out your fire and avoid starting a bigger one.

If you spot a wildfire, please call 310-FIRE [3473].