REGINA - Fire crews were on the scene north of Regina as they battled a grass and stubble fire in the area.
The grassfire was located north of the Uplands neighbourhood and the Co-op Refinery. A large plume of smoke was seen north of the city around mid-afternoon, but by 4 p.m. smoke from the scene dissipated considerably and fire crews appeared to have the upper hand on the situation.
Also, it appeared there was a separate fire happening further north of the city, with reports this might be a controlled burn.
A number of roads were closed off this afternoon while crews battled the fire, with residents asked to avoid Inland Dr. east of Highway 6.
As well a portion of Winnipeg St. in the Uplands neighbourhood was blocked off by Co-op Refinery security.
There is speculation a spark from a passing train in the area may have been responsible for the fire starting. Some videos have been posted online showing flames and smoke along the rail line.
There are also reports and photos of the flames reaching some chemical storage containers, resulting in a black plume of smoke seen in the city Saturday afternoon. Apart from that, most of the damage appeared confined to the rural area and no homes appeared to be impacted.
An investigation is on to determine what caused the fire.
