Wildfire Near Beau Rand Estates Contained

Parkland County Fire Services has contained the wildfire near Beau Rand Estates, and there is no further danger to the public. Crews will continue to monitor the area and extinguish hot spots as needed. 

The fire was first reported shortly after 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 3rd. Thanks to advance planning, pre-positioned resources and a quick response, the fire was contained with no reported injuries and no loss of structures. 

With conditions indicating high fire potential heading into the weekend, including elevated winds and fire weather indices, Fire Services proactively placed a helicopter on standby and had wildfire crews at the ready. Once dispatched, the helicopter was on scene within 30 minutes, conducting water drops to slow the spread of the fire while ground crews focused on protecting nearby homes and fighting the fire directly. Additional containment efforts included creating a fire guard and support from air tankers. 

Parkland County would like to thank our fire crews and support staff, mutual aid partners from Stony Plain and Devon, provincial support from Alberta Wildfire, and the teams from Fire and Flood, Delta Aviation and Alexander Forest Services. The coordinated response was instrumental to the fire's quick containment. 

Although wildfire season has just begun in the County, crews have already responded to nearly 30 fires that had the potential to become serious very quickly, especially during dry and windy periods like the ones we are currently experiencing. 
 
Acting Fire Chief Robert Malchow said fire bans and restrictions are based on careful monitoring of local conditions and the resources available to respond. 

“Parkland County has a large, diverse landscape and conditions may vary widely depending on where you are. When Parkland County puts fire restrictions or bans in place, those decisions are not made lightly. We closely monitor local conditions, fire behaviour, the fire weather index, and the availability of local, regional and provincial emergency resources to inform those decisions. 

Wildfires escalate quickly and draw resources from across the region. When that happens, it can affect our ability to respond to other emergencies in the County or to assist neighbouring municipalities. 

Help our Fire Crews by doing your part; please respect the fire ban, have an emergency plan in place, and book a FireSmart home assessment. Prevention is one of the most important tools we have to help keep our communities safe.” 

Learn more about wildfire prevention at www.parklandcounty.com/FireSmart.