The efforts of members of the Calgary Fire Department brought a grass fire under control in the city's northwest on Thursday evening.
CFD officials confirm firefighters responded to the scene at approximately 6:00 p.m. and the fire was located in an area behind the homes on Tuscarora Way Northwest, near to the Stoney Trail and Crowchild Trail interchange.
“Upon our arrival, we saw a fair amount of smoke in the trees here.," said onduty Battalion Chief Harly Spate. "We ordered up three bush buggies, a tender and one engine."
Spate says the poplar fluff in the treed area and along the grass acted as an accelerant. “Crews got on it fairly quickly. For sure they had an issue with the fluff inside the trees.”
“We did a good job tonight getting it contained.”
Southbound Stoney Trail was closed between Crowchild Trail and Scenic Acres Link due to the encroaching fire and significant smoke in the area but reopened at approximately 7:00 p.m.
“No injuries reported and the wind was a bit in our favour, blowing away from the community onto Stoney Trail,” said Spate.
The pedestrian bridge that spans Stoney Trail, connecitng the communities of Tuscany and Scenic Acres, was temporarily closed to the public.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Spate says people should be careful with how they discard smoking materials.especially during dry conditions.
Spate says the dry conditions of late have presented challenges but he expects the likelihood of grass fires will wane in the coming weeks.
“We’re just ending that dry period now and things are starting to green up so it should settle down for us now.”
