There is an increased risk of a wildfire sparking in the Grande Prairie area over the next few days. Alberta Wildfire has increased the wildfire danger for the Grande Prairie Forest Area to moderate.
It’s noted that high winds in the forecast can cause extreme fire behaviour and let fires grow quickly.
“Residents and visitors are urged to exercise caution if you are burning or using an off-highway vehicle in areas of dried grass, as grass fire can spread quickly and become hard to control,” the province says in an update. “Spring is an especially dangerous time in terms of wildfire starts. Last year 88 per cent of wildfires were human-caused which means they were completely preventable.”
Since the beginning of March, there have been eight wildfires reported in the local wildfire area, which have burned 5.7 hectares of land. A hazard reduction burn is currently being done in Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation to lessen the risk in the area.
