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Burn permits withdrawn after smoke cloaks town

Fire permits are being withdrawn across the county after smoke hanging over the town of Athabasca prompted numerous complaints from the public. The smoke began drifting over the town and surrounding area four days ago.

Fire permits are being withdrawn across the county after smoke hanging over the town of Athabasca prompted numerous complaints from the public.

The smoke began drifting over the town and surrounding area four days ago.

Ron Jackson, Athabasca County director of emergency services, said they were rescinding fire permits because of the hazard and nuisance the smoke was posing to local residents.

There were four permitted fires burning in the county but they were being extinguished Monday, according Athabasca Fire Chief Denis Mathieu.

He said the smoke problem was caused by a weather system called an inversion, which traps the smoke and causes it to hover close to the ground.

“The smoke just isn’t moving because of this inversion,” he explained. “As soon as the weather changes, the smoke will drift away.”

An inversion occurs when a layer of warm air sits on a layer of cooler air and acts as a cap of sorts, stopping the upward movement of air and trapping pollutants like smog and smoke close to the ground.

In Athabasca, the inversion is trapping the smoke from local brush pile fires.

“We think they are all permitted fires,” said Mathieu. “Farmers are being told they cannot burn anymore. The county is rescinding all burn permits.

“We have had a large number of complaints about the smoke,” he continued.

Athabasca was particularly affected because of its low-lying position in the river valley, as valleys tend to provide the right topographical conditions for inversions to develop.

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