It took firefighters from several stations about two-and-a-half hours to douse a wind-aided grass fire in Diamond Valley April 25.
The fire ignited at about 3 p.m. in dry conditions near Highway 22 and the Friendship Trail between Turner Valley and Black Diamond.
The first crew on scene reported flames four to five feet tall.
Diamond Valley Fire Department responded with units from both the Black Diamond and Turner Valley stations, along with crews from Longview and Okotoks.
Turner Valley Deputy Fire Chief Gerry Rooke said the fire was burning in an area of dry grass and brush in difficult terrain, with thick smoke making it difficult to estimate the initial size of the blaze.
“The fire was a little bit concerning because of the terrain in which it was located,” Rooke said.
Hilly terrain can make it difficult for fire trucks or firefighters on foot to get into position to fight the fire, he said.
The terrain also caused swirling winds that helped the fire grow in all directions.
“Normally you'd expect the fire to just propagate downwind,” he said.
The fire was declared out at around 5:30 p.m. and no buildings were damaged.
“We were a little bit concerned about some of the power poles in the area, but we were able to stop it before it got to those,” Rooke said.
Highway 22 between Black Diamond and Turner Valley and the Friendship Trail walking path were closed as the fire burned.
“We had crews operating in close proximity (to the highway), and the smoke conditions were fairly dense down there, posing a little bit of a hazard to traffic,” Rooke said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Rooke said conditions are dry, and this time of year is a major grass fire season in the Foothills.
“Right now, conditions are high to extreme in this area for grass fires,” he said.