Cigarettes - one of the most common culprits for fire starts in Alberta's south
Over half of Alberta wildfires so far this summer suspected to be human-caused
While nearly two million hectares of wildland have burned in Alberta's forest protected areas this year, the danger isn't limited to the woods.
Extreme drought conditions have left Prairie grasslands ripe for combustion, and while the dry conditions have limited the amount of fuel that can grow, area ranchers are still pleading with the public to exercise caution when passing through.
"Don’t throw your cigarettes out the bloody window," said Peter Konosky, who ranches near Medicine Hat, earlier this month.
"On a windy day, you can wipe out somebody’s place. You can wipe out a whole farmstead."
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Konosky explained he once lost four sections of land to a fire. He says about three years passed before the land was completely usable again.
"When it’s green it’s not so bad," he said. "But you can get into that habit of throwing a cigarette out of the window, you don’t care. Now the ditches are drying out and you've got a fire hazard."
SEE ALSO: Alberta smashes annual wildland burned record by mid-June
Cypress County Fire Chief Jason Linton says cigarettes and loose vehicle chains dragging along the road are the two most common culprits for starting fires in Alberta's south.
"Those are the two things we can avoid so we can stop responding to fires, especially along the highway where a lot of our farmland is," Linton said. "And it's very dangerous for us to fight fires along the highway too."
Under Alberta's Forest and Prairie Protection Act, disposing refuse that could create fire hazard on public land is subject to a $360 fine.
