‘It is so dry’: Fire ban issued for Lethbridge’s river valley

Firefighters are still trying to find the cause of a large grass fire in Lethbridge’s river valley that occurred Tuesday afternoon.

Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services and the Lethbridge Police Service responded shortly before 1 p.m. near the Mountain View Cemetery.

Because of the size of the fire and the amount of smoke it created, police closed Scenic Drive in both directions for a time.

The fire scorched a large area of the coulees on the south side of the cemetery near the Lethbridge Country Club.

There’s been no word on injuries.

During Tuesday’s early morning hours, fire crews responded to another grass fire just down the road.

That fire was burning uphill near Scenic Drive and 10th Avenue South toward homes.

Firefighters were able to contain it in time.

As a result, the fire department has issued a fire ban for the river valley due to the warmer temperatures, strong winds and low humidity.

“The (risk) levels are extreme right now. Our levels in the river valley and all over the city are more or less like they would be in August or in a drought,” said Troy Hicks, Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services chief fire marshal.

“It is so dry. The wind, as we all know these last few days, just dries it out even more and the smallest little spark can spread so quickly.

“It’s just very easy to get out of control.”

The fire ban prohibits all open fires in the river valley, including campfires, fire pits and charcoal barbeques.