Alberta Fire Ban

[Dudley]

Just a heads up to anyone traveling in or through Alberta, there is a total fire ban for the whole Province due to the extreme fire threat. This means no fires or even charcoal BBQ's. There is also a ban on quads and atv's on all public lands and parks until further notice.

[Brenda in Alberta]

We have reservations at Long Lake this weekend and I just got an email from Alberya Parks - no propane campfires, either.

[Dudley]

With the fire danger here, I can understand the bans. Now if we could just get people to watch their cigarette butts.

With the upcoming yearly migration to the Yukon and Alaska, I thought I had better warn the folks from south of the border.

[Jon in AZ]

We're used to such bans in the White Mountains of AZ in May and June. Several years I wasn't even allowed set foot in the national forest at the end of my street to walk the dog. Completely shut down, every square inch. I've been evacuated three times, the worst in 2002 for a whole week with 400 homes lost. Restrictions do take some of the fun out of camping, but, as recent events have shown, the alternative is far worse.

What's ironic is the Southwest, usually hot and bone dry about now, is cool and relatively wet this spring. Winter snowpack was light, though, so the prospect of a bad fire season remains.

Be careful out there!

[Hazel in Sk]

There are fire bans in Saskatchewan too. We have had some fires locally already. One threatened a home but the planes managed to protect it.

We are 'camping' in a friends farmyard this weekend. It will be fun - everyone will be 'doing their thing' wood turning,carving, photography, quilting, painting, spinning etc. Meals provided by the host!

[jvrayner]

Just yesterday I was told that there was a ban on fires, Here in northwestern Ontario , UPSALA . Its all over till the ALBERTA fires are out and its mostly forgotten . We can live without a fire anyway.
JvR

[Cathi]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

We're used to such bans in the White Mountains of AZ in May and June. Several years I wasn't even allowed set foot in the national forest at the end of my street to walk the dog. Completely shut down, every square inch. I've been evacuated three times, the worst in 2002 for a whole week with 400 homes lost. Restrictions do take some of the fun out of camping, but, as recent events have shown, the alternative is far worse.

What's ironic is the Southwest, usually hot and bone dry about now, is cool and relatively wet this spring. Winter snowpack was light, though, so the prospect of a bad fire season remains.

Be careful out there!

Camping in north Texas for about two months now and can't believe the storms, storms, storms. Don't remember this from when we lived in this general area years ago. Maybe there IS just more rain this year (and last here, big floods).
Since you are having a wetter time than usual, maybe it is just recent.

[Dudley]

Please send some of that rain up here, you can keep the tornadoes and lightening.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Dudley

Please send some of that rain up here, you can keep the tornadoes and lightening.

You can send some to BC as well please. Yup keep the lightening!

No fire ban as yet in BC but everyone is expecting it to come very soon.

234 wild fires (2 caused by humans here on the wet coast) so far in BC this year and we have already lost over 77,500 Ha. Current 38 fires burning.

We have had lots of wild fires come very close to cities/towns in BC in the past and homes have been lost but we have thankfully never seen the likes of what happen in Alberta last week where the fire went right through a city! Last summer we got just a taste of it as the city of Vancouver was covered in a thick haze of smoke for days due to a couple of wild fires not far away.

BUT the wildfire experts have been on the news the last few days telling us that with dry weather we have had the past few winters & record dry temps we have had this spring again, that we should be prepared for the worst.

I know we all love campfires and last year while fire bans where at their peak we had members here indicating they know how to build a safe fire and would not be abiding by no stinking fire ban. If you come north this summer before lighting a fire just stop and think for a minute about the 80,000 people of Fort McMurray who are not allowed back into their city and may not be for some time and the thousands of people who are know to have no home to return to (1600 + homes lost), even when allowed back.

Who would have ever have thought that would/could happen!

[Glenn Baglo]

I bought some firewood at a forest service camp about six years ago. Ended up bringing it home where it sat in the carport until recently when I dumped it in the garbage can. Fire bans don't bother me at all. What bothers me is when they close the roads into the parks because some people only care about themselves.