By James Wood

Tilley grass fire caused by errant cigarette

Jul 31, 2017 | 12:14 PM

25 firefighters and nine firetrucks responded to a fire that scorched around 120 acres of grass near Tilley on Sunday afternoon.

According to Darren Hofman, the deputy fire chief for Tilley Fire and Rescue, the department received a call about the fire around 3:30 p.m. The flames were located just off the southbound lanes of the Trans-Canada Highway, southeast of Tilley, with edges of the fire approaching the highway in spots.

Members of the Brooks, Duchess, Patricia, and Rolling Hills fire departments were eventually called in to assist with the fire.

“We lucked out,” said Hofman.

“There were fenceposts, and grass, so we really lucked out. If we had had any more wind, it would have been terrible. We had some natural firebreaks in the way, that helped us out a lot. We took advantage of those firebreaks.”

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Hofman indicated that calls off the highway are a common occurrence for his department.

“A lot of our calls are off the Number One, whether or not its hot equipment, or a breakdown,” said Hofman.

“We get a lot of train calls. We’re lucky so far this year, because when the trains usually start fires, they go for a mile, mile and a half before they stop.”

Hofman said that firefighters didn’t locate the remains of a cigarette, but the burn pattern from the fire’s origin point indicated that a tossed cigarette from a passing vehicle was a likely culprit.

“If there’s something hot, like a piece of tire, you can usually find the remnants,” said Hofman.

“The cherry falls away from the cigarette, the filter falls free, and the cherry blows into the grass.”

As for the person responsible, Hofman encouraged them to use an ashtray.

“It’s very dry,” said Hofman.

“Just use your best judgment. Don’t throw cigarettes out the window, and if you see something, call 911 so we can get a grasp on it before it gets out of control.”