'Careless and reckless choices': Rash of Fort McMurray wildfires caused by human carelessness

Vincent McDermott - 


Firefighters in the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo region have been fighting five wildfires since Tuesday, all of which have been caused by people.


The sun sets over the Snye in Fort McMurray on Tuesday July 27, 2016. Robert Murray/Fort McMurray Today© Provided by Edmonton Journal

Greg Bennett, a spokesperson for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, said Thursday the investigations are ongoing. One fire near Tower Road appears to have been caused by an unattended campfire. Smoke bombs were also hanging in a tree near the scene.

Preliminary reports for the other fires indicate that:

-Two wildfires in the Janvier area were human caused.

-A fire on a utility road northwest of the Parsons Creek Overpass was caused by people.

-A fire in the treeline behind Morgan Heights Trailer Park off McKinley Road in Timberlea was caused by people. The source of the fire has been found.

All of the fires are classified as held, including the Timberlea fire which is roughly 2.5 hectares. Sprinkler systems and emergency crews have also been deployed.

Regional Fire Chief Jody Butz said the fires have spread because most foliage has fallen and weather conditions in the region are dry. He asked hikers, people using off-highway vehicles (OHV) and anyone else using the trail systems or spending time in the boreal forest to be careful.

“Careless and reckless choices with campfires, smokers’ materials and debris in OHVs are leading causes of human-caused fires in the forest area. OHV use is always restricted in Fort McMurray and keeping your OHV clear of debris regularly can cut down on these risks,” he said. “Human-caused fires strain resources and create unnecessary risk to the community.”

Since January 1, there have been 111 wildfires in the Fort McMurray Forest Area. A total of 125,401 hectares have been burned.

There are currently 31 active wildfires in the Fort McMurray Forest Area, 17 are classified as being held and 14 are classified as under control. There are 59 active wildfires across Alberta.

vmcdermott@postmedia.com