
Officials monitoring a wildfire in Alberta are advising people to stay away following the discovery of deep ash pits in the burn area.
Brazeau County posted to its Facebook page that recent reports from firefighting ground crews indicate that there are several large ash pits and dangerous trees throughout the burn area that pose a “significant threat to public safety.”
The county is reminding people to stay out of the bush within the burn area, with ash pits up to five/six feet deep being discovered and actively burning underground.
The fire has also compromised the ground and root systems of trees within the burn area; these dangerous trees are susceptible to falling over and can cause serious injuries.
The fire in the county forced the evacuation of the entire town of Drayton Valley earlier this month and has burned nearly 5,000 hectares.