15,000 acres burned in Blood Tribe wildfire Sunday, caused by sweat lodge session
29 March 2021
Published by https://globalnews.ca/
CANADA – A wildfire that burned near Standoff, Alta., on Sunday afternoon was started by a nearby sweat lodge session.
The blaze was one of multiple fires burning in southern Alberta on Sunday, including in Vulcan County, where a wildfire near Carmangay caused an evacuation order.
In a statement, the Blood Tribe communications department said the grass fire started shortly after noon on Sunday, March 28, near Highway 509. The Blood Tribe Fire Department was deployed and set up an incident command and staging area near a hay plant.
Blood Tribe officials said the grass fire burned about 15,000 acres of land across an area stretching 28 kilometres west to east and six kilometres south to north along Highway 509.
Fire Chief Jacen Abrey confirmed that the Blood Tribe Fire Department had determined the blaze was started by a sweat lodge session occurring near Highway 509.
Abrey estimated on Sunday night that about 15 homes had to be evacuated as a result of the fire, with the Blood Tribe housing department estimating that it could have been as many as 24 homes.
A temporary shelter was assembled for evacuees at the multipurpose building in Standoff.
Blood Tribe communications told Global News that as of Monday night, no reports of damaged homes had been made and no injuries had been reported.