For the second time this month, the fire danger rating in the town and MD of Pincher Creek has been lowered.

In early September, a ban in place for most of the summer was eased to a fire restriction.

“On Saturday the 21st we downgraded it, again, to a fire advisory with the rain and conditions having improved,” fire Chief Pat Neumann tells Shootin’ the Breeze.

Unlike August, though, when almost all the month’s rain fell during an Aug. 30 thunderstorm, this month’s moisture has been spread out, allowing the vegetation to green up.

But, Neumann warns, conditions can change on a dime.

“So, what a fire advisory allows people to do is have recreational firepits with a permit. It also allows us to issue debris burn permits or notification of burn for residents within the MD.”

It’s also important to note that the district may not necessarily have the final say on where fires are allowed.

“One of the things that makes our MD unique is a protected forest area, which resides mostly on the western edge that is governed under forestry guidelines,” Neumann says.

“So, what that means is they need to pay attention to what Alberta Forestry posts in regards to fire restrictions and fire bans, and currently we don’t have any.”

As we move into the first full week of fall, Neumann is thankful for one thing: the quiet fire season the area has enjoyed.

“Given the conditions we had elsewhere in the province, the Northwest Territories and B.C., there was an awful lot of media education, making sure people understood the risks and hazards of the landscape.”

People are pretty understanding when it comes to having some freedoms taken away, he says, referring to the long-standing tradition of families gathering around a campfire, something that couldn’t happen this past summer.

“We didn’t have a whole lot of man-made fires started within the rural landscape this year and that’s really a testament to people actually paying more attention to the conditions.”

Full updated details on fire bans for the MD are posted online at www.pincherfire.ca. There, you’ll also find information on fire bans from around the province as well as how to apply for burn and firepit notifications.