The Airdrie Fire Department has commented on the several grassfires that were burning adjacent to CP Railway tracks on April 4, in the area of Main Street and Sierra Springs Drive SE.
All fires have been extinguished as the crews worked effectively to manage each call. Additional grass fires along the tracks that run through city limits were reported via several emergency 911 calls after the initial incident.
Garth Rabel, Airdrie’s deputy fire chief, said the crews and the public will be watching to make sure flames don’t pick back up in the current windy conditions.
“It was determined that a CP Rail train, travelling northbound, inadvertently ignited numerous fires in tall, dry grass first starting south in the Balzac area and extending as far as Dickenson Stevenson Trail in the northwest quadrant of the city,” a release from the City posted.
While it doesn’t happen a lot, Rabel explained that it’s not unusual to see sparks from the metal wheels and railway causing fires in the tall grass that grows right up to the railways.
“With the conditions right now, it's not just trains that are of concern, people need to be aware about dumping their cigarettes out the window, open fire pits, anything with dry material in the immediate area and with the winds the way they're blowing,” Rabel said. “There's reason to be concerned with the current conditions.”
Bush buggies, water tenders, engines, and all-terrain vehicles assisted fire crews from Airdrie, Rocky View County, and Crossfield to battle blazes on April 4, which were fanned by extreme, west-prevailing winds.
Residents in the community of Hillcrest are most affected currently, with a fire burning just south of that community.
Heavy plumes of smoke temporarily limited visibility on the Queen Elizabeth II Highway and surrounding roadways downwind.
CP Rail’s Hazardous Materials Response Team was dispatched to a location south of Airdrie to extinguish a fire involving a large liquid propane storage tank which overheated before venting into the air.
RCMP, Municipal Enforcement and CP Police collaborated to ensure safety and security for both first responders and the public, during a challenging and dynamic emergency fire event.
There was a total of 17 pieces of fire apparatus and 35 firefighters from Airdrie, Rocky View County and Crossfield responding to multiple scenes on April 4. No injuries were reported.
