A fire call was sent out regarding multiple fires within an eight-kilometre stretch north of Haunted Lakes, located to the northeast of the village of Alix, the afternoon of Thurs. April 25.
The blaze stretched from Haunted Lakes to roughly three kilometres south of Alix.
Fire crews from Alix, Bashaw, Blackfalds, Clive, Lacombe and Stettler responded as well as people from Nova Chemicals and Dow Chemicals.
They were able to contain the fire by 7:30 p.m. that night.
The morning of April 26, a couple of departments were out conducting some final clean up and dealing with hot spots that may still be present.
Lacombe County Fire Chief Drayton Bussiere confirmed the cause of the fire came from sparks of a train passing through the area.
“We are pretty confident it was started by a train,” said Bussiere. “Exactly how, we’re not sure but it was a spark of some kind from a train.”
Some buildings were threatened but luckily were saved from any damages due to favourable wind conditions.
Bussiere did wish to remind the County that they are under a fire advisory.
“I’m taking the opportunity to just remind everybody that it is really dry and so Lacombe County is under a fire advisory and we are trying to be extra cautious,” he said.
He warned against the dangers of throwing cigarette butts out the vehicle window as well as being ‘extra cautious’ when having campfires as it is ‘extremely dry out right now’.
Terri Huxley
ECA Review
