The rainy weather is good news for Sturgeon County firefighters and as long as the weather holds, the county’s fire ban should be lifted later this week.
County chief Pat Mahoney said as long as the rain continues as forecasted he anticipates lifting the ban, which has been in place since last week.
“I anticipate lifting the ban on Thursday morning as long as the forecast holds.”
Environment Canada is forecasting rain for Wednesday and Thursday this week, before a return to sunshine on Friday and heading through the weekend.
The county instituted its ban last Thursday when high temperatures and strong winds created dry conditions. Mahoney imposed the fire ban to reduce the risk of a major blaze and also encouraged ATV users to clean their machines and check for debris.
Mahoney said the ban was respected over the holiday weekend and there were few problems.
Burning brush in Sturgeon requires a fire permit and Mahoney said he likely won’t be issuing those for about a week after the fire ban is lifted.
He said the grass and trees need some time to “green up” so they are at less risk of starting ablaze again.
The province lifted its fire ban of provincial parks and forested areas last Friday, as conditions started to improve. St. Albert did not impose a fire ban so far this season.
The fire ban covers campfires, fireworks and charcoal grills, but does not include natural gas or propane barbecues.
