The largest fire in Alberta last year is officially out.

After being listed as under control since the snow arrived over the Thanksgiving weekend last October, the Devil's Head fire, 30 km west of Benchlands, was checked off the list by Alberta Wildfire yesterday.

The blaze was started by an abandoned campfire in late August/early September and consumed 2,420 hectares of forest before Mother Nature took the helm. 

At the beginning of the 2021 wildfire season, Christie Tucker, Alberta Wildfire information unit lead, said the fire had been monitored over the winter, and a final mop-up was required.

"If they see some areas that show some concern, they'll be able to deal with that right away. We have crews coming on very shortly, and our firefighters are going to be able to knock that down so it doesn't get out of control."

At its peak, those nearby were on notice to evacuate, and some did choose to leave the area briefly. Some smaller livestock was moved to the haven of the Cochrane and District Agricultural Society. Those with larger livestock arranged to move their stock on short notice should push come to shove.

The extreme elevation in the mountainous area made the fire a challenge to battle. It was all but under control, until winds picked up and pushed it into a fresh fuel supply to the east.

The high winds gave those in west Cochrane a spectacular view of flames being tossed high into the air.

Currently, there are no wildfires reported in the area, nor fire advisories in Cochrane and the surrounding Rocky View County.

The Summer Village of Waiparous has had fire restrictions in place since Apr. 7.