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After being decreased to Moderate two weeks ago, the wildfire hazard rating for the Southern Rockies region went back up to Very High last week.
The Very High rating extends from the Highwood area to the US border, and the northern part of the region (Kananaskis to Sundre) currently has a rating of High.
Alberta Sustainable Resource Development Wildfire Information Officer Karen Ritchie said last Friday that the area with the highest hazard rating is currently the Castle area.
“Pretty much from Longview all the way south along the Continental Divide are touchy,” Ritchie added. “Those are the places that are showing the highest build-up index.” |
While there are currently no fire bans in the Southern Rockies, outdoor burning is not recommended in areas with a Very High danger rating, and should only be planned for early morning and late evening, when conditions are coolest.
“To bring that hazard level back down, we would need some consistent, organized rain for an extended period,” said Ritchie.
“As there is no rain in the forecast for the next several days, people should keep on their toes and be very cautious.”
Since the beginning of April, Alberta has recorded 935 wildfires, which have burned more than 940,000 hectares of land.
As of Friday, there were a total of 19 wildfires burning in the province – two which were being held, 15 which were under control, and two which had been turned over to municipalities.
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