By Dori Modney (@Dori_Modney on Twitter) with files from The Drive News - Cranbook

The snow has melted and fire season has begun

Apr 1, 2019 | 7:11 PM

VULCAN —  Alberta’s wildfire season officially began on March 1 and the season has also come early for B.C.

Over the weekend, there were two blazes burning west of Chase in the Shuswap region, on the north side of the Thompson River, southeast of Niskonlith Lake.

The Kamloops-Shuswap road fire is 250 hectares in size, while the River Flats fire is 100 hectares.

The East Kootenay area also reported wildfires over the weekend.

Late Friday afternoon, the Cranbrook Fire Department responded to a brush fire north of the St Mary’s River,  with other crews mopping up the following morning.

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The BC Wildfire Service says the fire was estimated at just over seven hectares in size.

Also, it’s believed human activity is responsible for a one hectare fire near Cranbrook on Saturday.   Any fires in the forested areas now require a permit

B.C. fire crews weren’t alone in their activity, as Vulcan County emergency services responded to numerous suspect grass fires over the weekend. 

In a Facebook post, fire officials ask residents and landowners to keep a look out for suspicious activities such as unknown vehicles parked on the gravel roads. If you notice anything, please call 911 and report it to local RCMP.

With snow cover gone and the dry and windy conditions, fires can get out of hand very quickly.

Any fires in Alberta forested areas now require permits, which are available at any Agriculture and Forestry office.  More Information can be found at wildfire.alberta.ca