Grass fires in southern Alberta force evacuation of six residences
Firefighters were battling multiple grass fires, fanned by winds gusting to 100 km/h in southern Alberta on Friday afternoon.
Two grass fires — one about 80 hectares in size, the other 60 hectares — were burning in Foothills County, southwest of High River.
A news release from the county said that although the fires were being held, six residences had been evacuated and 12 more were on notice.
Residents who felt threatened by the fires were told to evacuate to Bob Snodgrass Recreation Complex in High River.
However, evacuees were cleared to return home early Friday evening after the fires were extinguished. Another fire was burning northeast of Airdrie on Friday afternoon.
RCMP reported that the intersection at Highway 567 and 281 was closed as firefighters battled the blaze. Mounties were warning residents in the area to consider leaving their homes and “tending to any livestock.”
Environment Canada had issued wind warnings for much of southern Alberta, including Calgary, with gusts exceeding 170 km/h in some areas.
The areas affected stretched from Grande Prairie in the north, through Jasper and Banff national parks, Kananaskis-canmore, and Crowsnest Pass.
There are numerous Twitter posts warning of dangerous driving conditions on Highway 22, with one tweet showing a flipped pickup truck and trailer.
In Calgary, temperatures will plunge from Friday’s high of 17 C to -2 C by tonight. The warning calls for 60 km/h winds, gusting to 90. The wintry weather will continue Saturday, with flurries and a high of 0.