Dry wildfire conditions in southern Alberta ‘concerning’ as spring nears

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Alberta’s forestry minister says wildfire preparations have gone smoothly as the season opens, but he is concerned about the lack of precipitation and warm weather in the southern part of the province.

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Alberta’s wildfire season officially began March 1 with 30 wildfires extinguished already so far this calendar year. Two fires remain active, according to the province’s online wildfire dashboard, and more than 280 hectares have been affected so far.

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Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen said Wednesday that while parts of the province are in relatively good shape ahead of the key spring weeks still to come, the southwest corner of the province in particular faces a more risky set of conditions.

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“We look at the south and the southwest, those are definitely concerning areas for us. We would like to see a lot more moisture in those areas,” he said.

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“If we look at most of the north, in particular the northwest, there’s been substantial snowfall and rainfall throughout the winter, and we have a lot of moisture. Some people I’m talking to are saying it’s the most they’ve seen in their lives.”

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Loewen said the province’s overall wildfire readiness is in a good state with most staff hiring already completed, but added the weather over the next two months will greatly affect how many fires crews the province will have this summer.

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“We still got a little bit of time left of winter, and hopefully we’ll get some more moisture there coming into the spring,” he said, adding, “we’re hoping for some timely rains in the month of May that would make all the difference in the world.

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“That’s when the snow has disappeared, the grass has dried out and there isn’t as much moisture in the trees. So, that’s the most volatile time for wildfire in the province.”

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He said hot, dry, windy weather were among the indicators that would cause the province the most concern.

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“We’ll be looking for that kind of monitoring, what’s going on on the landscape,” he said.

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“We’re constantly monitoring the weather to look for those conditions, and as we see those conditions start, then we will move personnel and equipment into those areas so that we’re ready to respond.”

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