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“Poorly discarded smoking matierial” likely cause of Lethbridge grass fire

It appears a poorly discarded cigarette may be to blame for a large grass fire in the Lethbridge River Valley on Tuesday (Apr. 21).

Crews were called out to an area just east of the Bridge Valley Golf Course between the train bridge after reports of a wind-whipped fire and lots of smoke.

Fire Chief Marc Rathwell saying Wednesday morning the blaze is under investigation, however improper disposal of smoking material is the likely culprit right now.

He says a helicopter was also called in at one point from Alberta Agriculture and Forestry to drop water on the fire. Wildland trucks from Coalhurst and Coaldale came to help out as well.

There is no estimate on the area burned and no damage to the golf course.

Fire crews remain on scene Wednesday taking care of any hot spots.

Patrick Siedlecki
Patrick Siedlecki
Pat has been a mainstay in the CJOC News department from the time the station launched in 2007. He's been in the position of News Director since then and has been anchoring daily news casts as well as reporting and working behind the scenes. Community is important to him and keeping CJOC listeners and readers informed about what's happening across southern Alberta and beyond. Pat has been in radio broadcasting for the past 24 years, starting in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island in 1997 and then moving up island to Nanaimo for another few years before heading to Lethbridge in 2007. Pat grew up in the small Saskatchewan farming town of Foam Lake. After high school, he went to Western Academy Broadcasting College (WABC) in Saskatoon prior to moving to the island. Pat also spent several years broadcasting hockey in the BCHL as well as seven years as the radio voice of the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the WHL. Pat has been working at Cornerstone Funeral Home in Lethbridge as a Certified Life Celebrant and Funeral Assistant since 2016. News and sports have always been Pat's passion from the time he was a teenager and he's always been grateful to have had the opportunity to make that part of what's been a fun and long radio career!
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