The Estevan Fire and Rescue Service is urging people to be cautious when conducting controlled burns.
Local firefighters have already been called to four wildland or grass fires this spring. Fire Chief Dale Feser said winds were up those days, so the fires got away from the residents quickly, and the fire department had to be called in.
“Make sure the fire is contained within some sort of a burn pit,” Feser told the Mercury. “Try to refrain from having any open air fires, such as a campfire. That’s where the sparks tend to get away and the wind can greatly affect that particular type of fire.
“You also want to make sure to check for local burn restrictions or permit requirements in the area.”
It’s not uncommon for the department to respond to this many wildland or grass fires in the first few weeks of the spring, but the Estevan area experienced a dry winter, and the department is expecting to have a relatively active season for grass fires this year.
People are asked to ensure they have sufficient manpower when conducting a controlled burn. A burn needs to be monitored by several individuals with sufficient tools to make sure the fire doesn’t get out of hand.
“If something happens and it looks like it’s getting out of control, don’t delay the call for help. Call the fire department immediately at the first sign of it getting out of control,” said Feser.
The fire risk is currently rated as very minimal. During the peak season for grass fires, the fire department draws on the daily fire danger and rate of spread maps from the Saskatchewan Ministry of the Environment to gage the risk of a grass fire. They also access a map from Natural Resources Canada.
The provincial map hasn’t been released yet, since it isn’t peak season for wildfires.
“We’ve had a little bit of moisture here, but I would imagine the rate of spread is around 10 to 18 metres a minute once we have open ignition,” said Feser.
Relative humidity and wind can greatly affect the rate of spread. When the humidity is between 25 and 50 per cent, then it is usually a good time to have a controlled burn.
And people should never have a controlled burn when the wind is gusting.
“Obviously, the wind can change directions several times throughout the day, and the velocity of the wind changes as well, so try to find that really good time to burn,” said Feser.
If the fire department sees a situation in which the rates of spread are high for an extended period of time, they will a total burn ban. A burn ban was in place for more than a week last August.
