Dry, windy conditions have prompted several area rural municipalities (RMs) to implement fire bans.
Just over a week after lifting a fire ban that had been in place from April 16 to April 23, the RM of Corman Park re-instituted a total fire ban on Thursday, May 1.
Corman Park was just one of several area RMs to implement fire bans in late April and early May. Others in the vicinity include the RM of Blucher (implemented April 28), RM of Rosthern (April 25), RM of Eagle Creek (May 4), RM of Duck Lake (April 23), RM of Great Bend (May 5), RM of Blaine Lake (May 5), RM of Bayne (April 30), RM of Redberry (May 1), and RM of Mayfield (May 3).
The RM of Laird, as of May 6, did not have a full fire ban, but did implement a range of fire restrictions on April 25.
The RM of Vanscoy had a fire ban in place from April 15 to April 22, but had not re-introduced it as of Tuesday morning, May 6.
The RM of Aberdeen did not have a fire ban in place as of Tuesday, May 6.
An updated map of municipal and provincial fire bans is available online at https://www.saskpublicsafety.ca/communities/community-fire-bans.
Under the Corman Park fire ban, all fires within the RM are prohibited until further notice. All fires presently burning are to be promptly extinguished and the lighting of any new outdoor fires is forbidden.
Examples of prohibited fires include fire pits, burning barrels, controlled burns and fireworks. The ban does not apply to internal household fireplaces, propane/natural gas/pellet/briquette-fueled cooking equipment like barbecues or smokers, propane/natural gas fire pits and tables, or fires lit by Fire Protection Organizations for training or preventative measures.