Grass fires continue to wreak havoc across Saskatchewan.
Less than 24 hours after a grass fire in Corman Park burned for more than 10 hours, a grass fire burned dangerously close to homes just west of Clavet.
The fire began just after 2 p.m. Sunday on a rural home about 20 kilometres east of Saskatoon, just off of Highway 16. By 6 p.m., firefighters from Saskatoon, Clavet and Blucher had the blaze under control and were dousing hot spots with water.
Acting battalion chief Gregg Tarasoff believes the blaze began in a detached garage, then quickly spread to a nearby shed and tractor.
Firefighters were able to stop the blaze from spreading to the house, but couldn’t stop prevent the surrounding grass from igniting.
“It was pretty much out of control to start with,” Tarasoff said. “The guys had to try and wait ’til the fire tempered itself, then they were able to make an attack and get it dealt with.”
“According to the battalion chief on site, the flames were 40 feet high.”
The garage where the fire is believed to originate was damaged beyond repair.
Residents from nearby homes hopped on ATV’s and water trucks to assist in the blaze, while others used tractors and loaders to clear away grass in an attempt to limit the burn.
Others gathered at grid roads and watched as the flames crept closer to their homes.
With grass fire calls coming in at a near daily rate, firefighters are on high alert during this dry and windy spell of weather.
“Typically at this time of year, if we have a cross over situation, which basically means the temperature is higher than the humidity, .we’re going to end up with very intense fire circumstances.”
“The fire can easily get away on us in those conditions.”