Smoke at Suffield a concern

Smoke seen at CFB Suffield on Sunday drew the concern of at least one area rancher.

Training exercises at CFB Suffield always carry the risk of fires developing but there is not much that can be done about it said Carol Hern, a rancher who was affected in the Bindloss fire last September.

“That’s a fact that we have to live with,” said Hern. “We always watch just to make sure it isn’t close to us.”

At an event last week, officials with the British Army Training Unit Suffield explained that there is always a risk of fire from the training exercises conducted there.

“By the nature of what we do here, inevitably there will be ... risk of fire,” said Major Alex Mills, in charge of training operations for BATUS at CFB Suffield, in a recent story in the News.

Everyone coming to the base to conduct training completes a two-day firefighting course. Considerable resources would also be used to prevent any fires from going beyond the boundaries of the base.

The September fire, which ultimately engulfed 220 square kilometres on the base plus another 58 square kilometres beyond, started as a result of a planned destruction of a decades-old artillery shell that had been discovered on the surface.

By the time the fire was out more than 160 head of cattle had either died in the blaze or had to be euthanized because they were so badly burned.

Since then the base commander expressed a commitment to reduce the potential for fires and in particular fires that spread beyond the base.

“That major is really open to suggestions from the ranchers in the area,” said Hern. “He is trying his best.”

Measures such as taking out more equipment to address a fire is reassuring to Hern.

At a press conference in January Lt.-Col. Mike Onieu, base commander said detonations such as the one in September may be delayed in future to a time when it would be safer.

The News was not able to reach someone at CFB Suffield on Monday, before going to press.