Estevan Fire Rescue Service (EFRS) members were called out to a fire by Benson Sunday afternoon.
The call came in at about 12:30 p.m. Firefighters responded to a report of a wildland fire in the RM of Benson. The landowner was working in the field close to where the fire occurred when he noticed the smoke and called it in.
"He did a great job with not hesitating at that time to get ourselves on the road as there's a fair travel distance there to get to the location. Crews were able to bring it under control before it got to any neighbouring properties or any other assets such as vehicles or farm machinery. We were able to keep it small and manageable," said Estevan Fire Chief Dale Feser.
Firefighters successfully suppressed the fire without any injuries or loss of property. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
"It appears that everybody is trying to do their best there to burn safely," Feser said.
After receiving a little bit of moisture over the weekend, the area shifted to a high fire danger index, which means that if people decide to burn something, they still should exercise caution and pay particular attention to wind conditions. If the situation gets out of control, people are asked not to hesitate and immediately call 911.
Feser also reminded the public to report all controlled burns to avoid unnecessary dispatches for the fire department.
"It's a quick phone call. They basically just take your information, land location, proposed times for the burns, and when you expect to be completed. When we do get toned out to certain areas, we automatically check with dispatch to ensure that there are no controlled burns being conducted at that location prior to leaving the fire station. So it's very critical that everybody uses this great resource. They're open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and they'll take down the information," Feser said.
Saturday afternoon, the EFRS was also out at the Estevan Motor Speedway, ensuring the fire safety of the Enduro race.
"It was a fun-filled event, a little bit of action out there. I think everybody was looking forward to partaking and getting out of the house a little bit to see some of these events," Feser said.
