A wildfire in Corman Park between Saskatoon and Martensville was extinguished by firefighters from Martensville and Warman.
Martensville Fire Chief Kurt Dyck said the fire was called in at about 10:50 a.m. on Monday, April 17. Martensville Fire Department crews were the first to respond, and they immediately called in Warman Fire Rescue personnel to assist in the firefighting effort. The fire was brought under control about 1:30 p.m. and crews completed mopping up hot spots and cleared the area about 3:30 p.m.
The fire burned about ten acres of scrub and bush land south of Township Road 381 to the east of Highway 12.
“We don’t know the exact cause of the fire, but we think it started along the road,” said Dyck. “The surface brush is quite dry, even though the snow hasn’t been gone long. The ground underneath is still quite wet, though, which makes it challenging to get vehicles into the fields.”
The blaze was fanned by a brisk southeasterly wind, creating a dense column of smoke that obscured visibility on Highway 12.
“The wind was really a big factor,” said Dyck. “The fire was moving quite fast to the north. We were able to contain it and keep it from spreading.”
No structures were damaged in the fire, and there were no injuries.
Warman RCMP Staff Sergeant Jason Teniuk said at 1:00 p.m. most of the heavy smoke blanketing Highway 12 has cleared up. However, RCMP and Corman Park Police officers remained on scene to assist with traffic control until firefighters completed their clean-up.
Dyck said wildfires in the spring are always a threat, and people need to use caution. He said it’s especially important that people properly dispose of smoking material, and not simply toss it from their vehicles.
“We don’t know if the fire was caused by smoking material,” he said. “But it’s a possibility.”