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Teamwork was key in putting out a grass fire that sparked Friday afternoon at the Okotoks off-leash dog park.
Okotoks Fire Chief Trevor Brice said 26 staff were on scene at 51 Drake Landing Loop April 8, including three fire chiefs.
Crews from Okotoks, High River and Heritage Pointe joined forces after reports of smoke rolled in around 3:45 p.m.
Winds gusting up to 72 km/h caused the flames to spread rather quickly while pushing the blaze considerably close to neighbouring homes.
"With the wind it's really blown that fire up and covered a considerable area," Brice said. "It came close to some homes, like really close."
Paved pathways in the area played a role in preventing further damage, he added.
Crews were able to extinguish the flames from all sides, swallowing up chances of ignition powered by strong winds.
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Brice said no injuries have been reported as a result of the fire and no structural damage was incurred.
Although visible flames have subsided, he urged residents to stay clear of the area as crews monitor potential flare-ups. There is still considerable smoke lingering in the air as well.
"Everybody's good. We're just asking people now – there's still bits of smoke – keep your windows shut and just keep out of the way for a little bit and give us a chance to make sure it's fully out," said Brice.
The chief said it will be difficult to determine the exact cause of the fire, given the large area. As conditions are quite dry, Brice said it wouldn't have taken much to ignite a flame.
"It could be a simple as somebody inadvertently discarding a lighted cigarette [and thinking it's out] and because of the wind it goes faster than we can run sometimes," he said.
"People think that [because] we've just got rid of the snow, everything is wet and it's not – it's actually dried out pretty significantly."
As wildfire and barbeque season are nearing, Brice advised residents to keep their yards clean of waste like dried grass and leaves, which can burn quite quickly if sparked.
