Fire ban still in effect for Lethbridge river valley; officials urge compliance

Lethbridge’s fire department is reminding residents that the river valley fire ban is still in effect.

Hot and dry conditions are increasing the fire risk.

While the river valley might look green, there’s plenty of dead grass underneath that can catch quickly.

Even a small spark from a campfire or cigarette could easily start a blaze.

High winds will make it very easy for any fire to spread.

With conditions only expected to get worse, the fire department doesn’t want to take any chances.

“Right now, in the river valley, with the abundance of, I guess, dead grasses, leaf litter, deadfall, there is still extreme fire risk,” said Neil O’Grady, fire prevention officer.

“When we do get any precipitation, generally it stays on the surface for a short amount of time. But with our prevailing winds and warm weather, it usually dries out pretty quickly and we get right back to an extreme fire risk.”

You can keep up to date on local and provincial fire bans at albertafirebans.ca.