An aerial photo of the grass fire between Irvine and Dunmore on Wednesday. (Image Credit: Cypress County)

By Jesse Gill

FIRE

Cypress County crews respond to grass fire between Irvine and Dunmore Wednesday

Apr 23, 2026 | 1:45 PM

Cypress County Emergency Services received reports of a large, fast-moving grass fire in the area of the Trans-Canada Highway and Range Road 34 at 5:48 p.m. on Wednesday.

Fire Services immediately requested additional stations to support the response due to the extreme winds and dry conditions.

They arrived on scene at approximately 6:02 p.m. with Engine 2.

The County says that in total, 13 fire apparatus and about 30 firefighters were deployed from six of their fire stations.

HALO was also requested to provide real-time aerial reconnaissance of the fire.

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The fire was contained by 6:42 p.m., and crews remained on scene for several hours to ensure that all hotspots were fully extinguished.

Reports from 511 Alberta on Wednesday evening showed the westbound lane of the Trans-Canada Highway shut down for a short period with smoke blowing across the highway.

County officials stated that it was a fast-moving fire, which created additional operational challenges.

Cypress County officials said they were thankful for the response of their firefighters and agency partners, for the exceptional teamwork, professionalism, and dedication in bringing the incident under control, quickly and effectively.

Winds gusts peaked in the Medicine Hat area, reaching as high as 85 km/h at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. An increase from 76 km/h gusts at 6 p.m.

by Jesse Gill

Cypress County crews respond to grass fire between Irvine and Dunmore Wednesday

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