(Government of Alberta)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

prevention

Wildfire season in Alberta starts March 1

Mar 1, 2020 | 1:11 PM

The province’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is reminding Albertans that wildfire season begins March 1.

The start of wildfire season in Alberta is one month earlier than in most other jurisdictions, and runs through Oct. 31, a media release states.

Almost all spring wildfires are caused by human activity.

“Most wildfires are preventable. More than 70 per cent of Alberta wildfires last year were caused by humans – and the McMillan wildfire near Slave Lake was started by arson,” says Minister Devin Dreeshen. “We will continue to promote prevention, provide adequate funding and improvements to forest management.”

Fire permits are required for any type of burning, except for campfires in the Forest Protection Area.

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Permits let firefighters know exactly where planned burning is occurring, and help prevent false alarms, which ensures firefighters are available for real wildfire response.

Fire permits are free and can be requested from any Agriculture and Forestry office.

To keep up to date on local fire bans, visit AlbertaFireBans.ca.