Fire crews and police responded to a grass fire northeast of Edmonton Wednesday night. The fire began burning near Range Road 220 and Township Road 554 at approximately 7 p.m., Strathcona County RCMP said. There are no homes near the fire, no one has been evacuated and there have been no injuries, police said. Mounties are rerouting traffic in the area as firefighters get the fire under control.<doc-sep>Send this page to someone via email There was a large grass fire burning in west Edmonton on Monday afternoon. Flames and smoke could be seen along Yellowhead Trail at 184 Street and near the Henday, on the south side of Yellowhead at 3:30 p.m. Fire crews were called at 2:24 p.m. and arrived on scene five minutes later. “We got about 12 trucks on scene here including all-terrain pumps and tankers,” said district chief Daniel Blackburn with Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS). No buildings were threatened, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services said. Crews expected to be there for the majority of the night putting out hot spots. Strong winds were a challenge, firefighters said. Watch below: Traffic was delayed Monday afternoon due to a crash involving a motorcycle on the Henday between the Yellowhead and 111 Avenue. A grass fire was also burning nearby. It’s not clear if the two are connected. 2:03 Grass fire and crash on Henday in west Edmonton Grass fire and crash on Henday in west Edmonton – Apr 22, 2019 “It was right over quite an area and the wind spread it quickly so we were fighting it on several fronts,” Blackburn said. Story continues below advertisement “We will be here all night because we have some extended fire in some brush. So it’s going to take most of the night to get it out.” No injuries were reported. View image in full screen A grass fire in Edmonton near the Henday and Yellowhead Trail, on Monday, April 22, 2019. Wes Rosa/Global News At the same time, there was also a serious collision in the area. READ MORE: Crash involving motorcycle leads to lane closures along Anthony Henday Drive Police said Anthony Henday Drive between 111 Avenue and Yellowhead Trail was reduced to one lane at about 3:30 p.m. due to a crash involving a motorcycle. Drivers were asked to avoid the area and to expect delays for the next several hours. It’s not known if the smoke and the crash are connected in any way. Story continues below advertisement The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. READ MORE: Alberta fire season 2019: Latest status of wildfires, bans and restrictions Edmonton’s deputy chief of public safety said Monday’s grass fire is a reminder of how quickly they can spread. The city’s fire services are already fielding between 12 and 18 calls a day for outside fires. The department started tracking grass fires on April 10 and has received 120 calls since then. The fire weather index last week was moderate to low. On Tuesday, it was extreme due to the sun, wind and lack of rain. While the deeper ground has been damp, the surface grass is very dry. Deputy Chief Russell Croome said careless smoking is a huge factor in starting outside fires. “Discarding a cigarette — if you choose to smoke, please discard them carefully. Make sure that they’re out,” he said. Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Discarding a cigarette — if you choose to smoke, please discard them carefully. Make sure that they're out," he said. “That has just contributed in a huge way to the fires we have. All-terrain vehicles, or any vehicles, when you’re going off-road, the grass is long and dry. The tailpipe and the motor is really hot and there’s usually enough heat to result in a grass fire.” View image in full screen A grass fire near Yellowhead Trail and 156 Street on April 23, 2019. Sarah Kraus, Global News The fire risk is slightly higher this spring than last. To compare, spring 2018 was quite damp. EFRS didn’t start tracking fires until April 20 and had 90 fires by the end of April. Story continues below advertisement Last May, there was a two-week fire ban. That month, Edmonton saw more than 300 outdoor fires. “That risk is ever-present,” Croome said. “Until we get that real significant green-up and get a little bit of rain, we’re going to be having these higher-than-normal risks of grass fires.” Edmonton should see precipitation and cooler temperatures over the next week. If you see smoke, call 911 and give the dispatchers an accurate location. If you’re having a fire outside, use a designated pit and a screen to try and prevent embers from becoming airborne.<doc-sep>Article content Local police are treating a fire at an abandoned house as “suspicious.” Edmonton Fire Rescue Services responded to reports of a fire in the area of 103 Street and 98 Avenue early Monday morning. On Tuesday, Edmonton police confirmed they are investigating the fire and it has been deemed suspicious. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Police investigating 'suspicious' fire at abandoned house Back to video Scott Pattison, EPS spokesman, said while the fire is suspicious it is too early to consider it arson. Pattison said the cause of the fire is not known at this time and fire investigations are often lengthy. “Simply put, investigators have to sift through large amounts of incinerated evidence,” said Pattison in an email. No one was injured in the fire.<doc-sep>
Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook Crews from several detachments continued to battle a grass fire northeast of Edmonton on Thursday morning. Cpl. Ron Bumbry with Strathcona County RCMP said emergency crews were called to the area just after 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Fire crews from Lamont, Strathcona County, Bruderheim and Fort Saskatchewan were called to battle the blaze, Bumbry said. Air support was also called in to help with water, he added. The fire was burning in Strathcona County in the area of Range Road 220 just south of Township Road 554. The area is located about five kilometres east of Fort Saskatchewan. About 20 firefighters from Strathcona County and Fort Saskatchewan remained on scene Thursday morning. The fire was considered under control but they were monitoring the situation and putting out hot spots. Story continues below advertisement View image in gallery mode Fire crews from Fort Saskatchewan, Strathcona County, Lamont and Bruderheim respond to a grass fire in Strathcona County Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Courtesy, RCMP View image in gallery mode Fire crews from Fort Saskatchewan, Strathcona County, Lamont and Bruderheim respond to a grass fire in Strathcona County Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Les Knight, Global News No injuries were reported and no buildings were lost, Strathcona County Fire said Thursday. Helicopter drops were being considered to put out the larger hot spots. READ MORE: Smoke from large Edmonton grass fire drifts across Yellowhead Story continues below advertisement Wind was a driving factor on Wednesday, fire officials said. RCMP added black smoke could be seen in the area due to high winds. According to Global Edmonton’s chief meteorologist Jesse Beyer, wind speeds in the Edmonton area reached 67 km/h at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Wind in Edmonton topped out at nearly 70km/h at 6pm! Many areas in Alberta were dealing with wind gusts in the 50-70km/h range today. #yeg #yegwx #abroads pic.twitter.com/b9xU7k2aXe — Jesse Beyer (@jessebeyerWX) April 25, 2019 Shortly after 8:30 p.m., RCMP said traffic along Range Road 220 was being rerouted in both directions. READ MORE: Brush fire in northeast Edmonton comes close to homes The size and cause of the fire was not known Wednesday night, but at around 9:30 p.m., Bumbry said the fire had tapered down and was under control. WATCH: Windy, dry conditions lead to grass fires in Edmonton (Filed Tuesday, April 23, 2019). 2:17 Windy, dry conditions mean lots of grass fires in Edmonton Windy, dry conditions mean lots of grass fires in Edmonton – Apr 23, 2019