Albertans can do their part to prevent wildfires

Did you know that recreational activity is one of the leading causes of wildfires in Alberta? In 2021, 67% of wildfires were completely preventable. They were the direct result of people not taking the necessary precautions to reduce the risk of wildfire; and that neglect can prove costly.

“Leaving a campfire unattended can result in a $600 fine or worse,” says Josee St-Onge, provincial information officer with Alberta Wildfire. “If your unattended campfire is found to be the cause of a wildfire, you could be on the hook for the cost of fighting the wildfire.”

Here is what you can do to help prevent wildfires:

Get started

Before heading out to enjoy a campfire, check Albertafirebans.ca to ensure that campfires are permitted in your area.

Select an appropriate site at a campground

If you are at a campground, use the designated stoves, rings and fire pits. They are designed to keep fires from spreading and are the best choice for a safe campfire.

Avoid using sites that are near dry grass, heavy bushes, leaves, logs, peat areas or overhanging branches.

Ensure your campfire is on level ground and sheltered from the wind. A breeze can carry sparks from your fire to flammable material nearby.

Prepare a site outside a designated campground

Safe wood campfires should be within a metal, brick, or rock fire ring. They are required to:

• be on rock, gravel, sand, or another non-combustible surface that extends at least 1m around the fire
• have a responsible person in attendance to keep fire under control at all times and extinguish before leaving
• have enough water on site to extinguish the fire

Extinguish your campfire

When you are finished with the campfire, make sure you properly extinguish it. First, let the fire burn down well before you plan to put it out. Next, spread the embers inside the fire pit. Be careful to keep the embers within the fire pit. Add water or loose dirt to the fire pit and stir it around.

Dig around the fire pit and expose any material that is still burning before adding more water or loose dirt. Continue until you no longer see smoke or steam rising from the pit.

Do not just bury your fire and leave it – embers will continue to smolder underground and can re-emerge as a wildfire.

Your campfire is fully extinguished when its ashes are cool to the touch.

“Soak it, stir it, soak it again. By following these easy steps, Albertans can help prevent accidental wildfires,” says St-Onge.

Visit albertafirebans.ca to find all the latest fire bans across the province.

Contact

Connect with a Provincial Information Officer for more information:

Phone: 780-420-1968

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