Fire ban still in effect for Lethbridge river valley; officials urge compliance

CTV News10-06-2025

Lethbridge's fire department is reminding residents that the river valley fire ban is still in effect. Hot and dry conditions are increasing the fire risk.
Lethbridge's fire department is reminding residents that the river valley fire ban is still in effect.
Hot and dry conditions are increasing the fire risk.
While the river valley might look green, there's plenty of dead grass underneath that can catch quickly.
Even a small spark from a campfire or cigarette could easily start a blaze.
High winds will make it very easy for any fire to spread.
With conditions only expected to get worse, the fire department doesn't want to take any chances.
'Right now, in the river valley, with the abundance of, I guess, dead grasses, leaf litter, deadfall, there is still extreme fire risk,' said Neil O'Grady, fire prevention officer.
'When we do get any precipitation, generally it stays on the surface for a short amount of time. But with our prevailing winds and warm weather, it usually dries out pretty quickly and we get right back to an extreme fire risk.'
You can keep up to date on local and provincial fire bans at albertafirebans.ca.

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'Like a big fireball': Saskatoon couple describe lightning strike that knocked father to the ground

CBC

31 minutes ago

'Like a big fireball': Saskatoon couple describe lightning strike that knocked father to the ground

Social Sharing Eric Milne says he remembers seeing a big flash and then wondering why he was on his back on the driveway. Leanne Milne remembers seeing the big flash and wondering, "Where's Eric?" It was around 5:30 p.m. CST on Thursday and the couple were getting ready to head downtown with their kids to catch a movie, How to Train Your Dragon. The clouds were thick and black over the city and Leanne was getting the kids into storm gear. They live in a two-storey in the Montgomery Place neighbourhood, with a treed front yard. Eric had gone outside to wait in their silver Chevy half-ton and Leanne was standing in their open front door wrestling their son into his rain slicker. Then, boom. "It looked like an explosion. I thought like a bomb honestly went off … like a big fireball," Leanne said in an interview Friday. "I was like panicking, because I didn't know where [Eric] was. And then I thought, maybe he's in the truck. So I walked up to the truck and I was like, OK, thank God he's not in the truck. And then I saw him." Eric was on his back on the ground, confused but unhurt. He knew the truck's tire was deflating and that the aerial had ignited. "I knew the truck was on fire and I'm like, I gotta get up and deal with that. But I was like, I'm not sure if I'm OK, so I lied there for a second. I figured I was OK, and then I went and tried to deal with it. But then six or eight neighbours were running in to help, like, immediately, and my neighbour across the street thankfully put out the fire right away." WATCH | Saskatoon couple describes close encounter with lightning: 'A big fireball': Saskatoon couple describes close encounter with lightning 3 hours ago Duration 2:28 Eric and Leanne Milne were heading out to a movie with their kids on June 19, 2025, when lightning struck. Eric figured the lightning hit the tree and then arced to a lamppost, to the truck and to the house. It popped out a light fixture at the door and tripped their breakers. "I felt the wave of the shockwave, I guess you call it," he said. Leanne eventually did take the kids to the movie. Eric stayed home. "Last night, I was just a ball of adrenaline for hours."