A controlled burn that flared up due to an unexpected wind early Wednesday morning, June 28, was contained by the actions of the landowner and a quick response from the Warman and Martensville fire departments.
The fire occurred at a dairy farm in the RM of Corman Park west of Warman, on Range Road 3052 north of Township Road 390.
Warman Fire Chief Russ Austin said they received a 911 call at about 8:10 a.m.
‘The farmer had a controlled burn going and did all the right things,” said Austin. “He had called the provincial controlled burn line, the fire was in a pit and he had taken all the necessary precautions.
“But there was an unexpected wind that blew embers from the fire onto a stack of bales, and it quickly spread from there.”
Austin said Warman firefighters responded with a grass truck, command vehicle, utility vehicle, structural engine and water tender. He added that because of the amount of water needed, Martensville Fire Department was requested to assist with an additional water tender.
When Warman firefighters arrived on scene, they were able to knock the flames down, and that allowed the landowner to pull the bale stack apart with his machinery.
Austin said while there was no serious structural damage to any buildings, the fire did come very close to igniting one barn.
“Some of the fire embers had blown up against the side of the dairy barn,” said Austin. “But the farmer saw them and was able to pull the burning material away with his tractor.”
Austin said it was unfortunate the fire spread due to unforeseen circumstances, and said nothing is ever 100 per cent preventable.
“We appreciated the fact he did the right thing,” said Austin.
Firefighters were on the scene for about four hours Wednesday morning. While the fire was brought under control quickly, it did continue to burn because it had advanced into a manure pile, making it very difficult to completely extinguish.
“It will likely burn for quite a while now,” said Austin. “But the farmer will be monitoring it closely and moving stuff away as needed.”