Springlike weather has prompted Alberta Wildfire to issue a rare February fire advisory for the Calgary Forest Area.
The advisory is driven by a combination of warm temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds that are creating elevated wildfire risk well outside the typical fire season.
Officials say the warmth has rapidly dried exposed grasses and forest fuels, increasing the potential for fast moving fires.
Wind has added to the concern, with gusts as high as 60km as hour in some areas of.
The advisory strongly discourages burning and asks anyone who conducted winter burning to return to their sites to ensure fires are fully extinguished.
While fire advisories are common in spring and summer, they are rarely issued in February. Officials say the current conditions resemble early April rather than midwinter.
A map of the advisory area is available at albertawildfire.ca.
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