Four fires in 48 hours. Multiple residents displaced. Property losses climbing into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. In nearly every case, the cause was the same: a cigarette that wasn't properly put out.
The Grande Prairie Fire Department issued an urgent warning last week asking residents to take extra care when disposing of smoking materials after a sharp rise in human-caused fires across the city. Fire Chief Mark VanWerkhoven was direct about it.
"In current conditions, a cigarette flicked out a vehicle window or off a balcony can have catastrophic impacts," VanWerkhoven said. "Regretfully, we've seen these impacts firsthand in recent weeks."
No injuries or deaths have been reported. But the fires have displaced residents and caused significant property damage losses the department says are entirely preventable.
The conditions that make this especially dangerous right now
This isn't a normal spring. Grande Prairie has seen little precipitation, and dry grass and vegetation across the region are sitting at extreme flammability levels. A fire restriction has been in effect for the City of Grande Prairie since 8 a.m. on May 9, put in place due to what the city described as very dry conditions and elevated wildfire risk across the region.
The County of Grande Prairie and surrounding towns Beaverlodge, Sexsmith, and Wembley have been under the same restriction since May 9 as well, upgraded from a fire advisory that was issued on May 5.
Under the current restriction, open burning of any kind is banned. Burn barrels, smudge fires, and residential fire pits without a spark arrestor are all prohibited. Fireworks require written authorization. Propane and natural gas appliances are still permitted.
The city's Fire Marshal Chris Renyk put it plainly when the restriction was announced: "This restriction isn't about limiting enjoyment it's about protecting our community."
There was already a wildfire south of the city last week
The smoking materials warning didn't come out of nowhere. On May 20 the day before the fire department issued its public warning crews were responding to an out-of-control wildfire roughly 15 kilometres south of Grande Prairie. Alberta Wildfire received the initial assessment at 5:24 p.m. that Wednesday evening.
By Thursday morning, the fire had been reclassified as being held, meaning crews were confident it wouldn't grow past its existing boundaries. But the fact that an out-of-control wildfire was burning within 15 kilometres of the city the same week firefighters responded to four structure fires tied to cigarettes tells the full story of where conditions stand right now.
Why a cigarette is more dangerous than people think
There are no fire alarms outdoors. A cigarette tossed into a planter, dry grass, or off a balcony can smoulder undetected for hours before becoming a structure fire. Once it ignites in current conditions low humidity, dry vegetation, warm temperatures it can spread faster than most people expect.
The fire department is specifically warning against discarding smoking materials in planters, flowerpots, landscaping, garbage cans, or off balconies and decks. The correct approach: fully extinguish first, then dispose in a deep, sturdy ashtray or a non-combustible container filled with sand or water.
VanWerkhoven also flagged something beyond the immediate damage: repeated preventable fire losses drive up insurance costs across the region over time. It's not just the people whose property burns who end up paying.
What the fire restriction means practically
If you're in Grande Prairie or the surrounding county right now, here's what is and isn't allowed under the current restriction:
Permitted: propane and natural gas barbecues and fire pits, charcoal briquette barbecues, residential fire pits with a spark arrestor or screen, indoor wood fireplaces.
Not permitted: open burning of any kind, burn barrels, residential fire pits without a spark arrestor, smudge fires, wood campfires on public land, fireworks without written authorization.
Current fire restriction status and updates are at cityofgp.com/firebans and albertafirebans.ca. To report a wildfire, call 310-FIRE.
Sources:
City of Grande Prairie — Grande Prairie Fire Department urges safe disposal of smoking materials amid rise in fires, May 21, 2026
City of Grande Prairie — Fire restriction going into effect for City of Grande Prairie, May 8, 2026
County of Grande Prairie — County Upgrades Fire Advisory to Fire Restriction, May 9, 2026
Alberta.ca — Grande Prairie Forest Area wildfire update, May 16, 2026
