STAR CITY— A total of about 18,000 square metres were burned through by a grass fire in the RM of Star City.
The Melfort Fire Department responded on April 30, at about 4:18 p.m. When the crews arrived, the fire had made its way into some thick bush new a yard site.
“It was mostly just ground cover fire, grasses and dead leaves and any dry deadfall that had fallen,” said Shaun Stewart, Melfort’s fire chief.
He said that the cause of the fire is believed to be something left smoldering in the snow— such as a campfire.
“It was something that they had started long, long ago— likely when there was still two feet or snow,” Stewart said. “It was just smoldering underneath.”
As the snow cleared, and the winds came up on April 30, Stewart said that the flame likely reignited through dead grass.
Firefighters worked to cut off the fire from proceeding towards the yard site.
Crews used about 10,000 gallons of water to contain and extinguish the fire, as well as back burning in order to control it.
“There were a few areas, that what we did was we lit parts of the area,” Stewart said. “We kind of made a fire break so it wasn’t going anywhere.”
Crews were out on this call for eight-and-a-half hours.
Ironically, Stewart said the department training, which had recently resumed, was partially focused on fighting grass fires in April.
“It’s funny, because it was all to do with grass fires, and the different equipment that we use, and the different types of hoses we use compared to structure fires. Then lo and behold, what do we get, but a grass fire.”
To reduce the spread of the pandemic the Melfort training is done in two separate nights, with membership cut in half.
