Fires permitted in city and Cypress Hills but caution urged as long weekend arrives

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on May 19, 2023.

https://www.medicinehatnews.com@MedicineHatNews

There is no fire ban at Cypress Hills or city campsites as the May Long weekend arrives, but officials are stressing that caution is employed as Hatters enjoy Victoria Day holiday.

“Conditions around the city are very dry; so even though there is no fire ban, people should be careful,” said Carter Gramlich, a fire prevention officer with the Medicine Hat Fire Service.

He stressed recreational fireworks are not allowed at anytime within city limits, backyard fire pits should be permitted, and weather should be considered,, especially wind.

“A family, out back, having a regular fire in a pit shouldn’t have a problem, but just make sure you put it out,” he said.

The service is also stressing that smoking materials should always be disposed of in proper ashtrays, and, specifically, not potted plants that may have soil mixed with combustible peat moss.

Site bookings at Gas City Campground showed near complete coverage this weekend with only several sites available for single nights among 98 sites at the municipal campground.

On Thursday the provincial wildfire office extended a ban on camping and off-road vehicle use on Crown land in the forest protection area in the west of the province.

Most of northern Alberta and the eastern slopes of the Rockies are under a complete fire ban as crews battle an unprecedented number of wildfires for this time of year.

Alberta Parks reports no restrictions in place at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park or elsewhere in the southeast with the exception of the Kennedy Coulee Environmental Reserve, near Onefour.

Cypress County instituted a fire restriction April 28, thereby limiting open fires and rescinding fire permits.

The County of Newell, the Special Areas and County of forty Mile are also restricting fires as hot dry conditions have elevated the risk of wildfire.

In Saskatchewan on Monday, the RMs of Enterprise (near the Alberta boundary) and Carmichael (south of Webb) enacted a full fire ban. The RM of Maple Creek banned open pit and building fires on Wednesday.

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