As seasonal temperatures rise, the risk of grassfires increases in Moose Jaw and the surrounding area.
Deputy Fire Chief Mike Russell told Discover Moose Jaw that fire doesn’t pick a time or place, but residents still need to remain hyper-vigilant — especially now, as the fire department is seeing an uptick in grass and culvert fires. In 2022, the fire department responded to 16 grassfires.
Residents can help reduce the risk by keeping vegetation away from their homes, properly stacking firewood and maintaining a buffer zone free of flammable materials.
"That all helps us reduce the amount of time we have to go out to those types of fires,” Russell said.
A number of factors can start grassfires, including fireworks, discarded cigarettes, lightning strikes, sparks and heat from trains, and campfires that haven’t been fully extinguished.
Russell said the key is to be proactive.
"If we can get the message out to the public ahead of time, we'd rather be proactive than reactive. We are in a reactive business, let’s be honest — we respond when people need us in a time of need,” he said.
If you're in the country and planning a controlled burn, you should check with your rural municipality to ensure you're allowed to burn debris, and avoid burning on dry, windy days.
Meanwhile, the Moose Jaw Fire Department has, in the past, issued a non-burning clause within city limits when conditions become dangerously dry, although it is rare.
Rural municipalities and the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency can issue fire bans under extremely dry conditions. Currently, there are no fire bans in our area. The closest fire ban is in the RM of Sherwood No. 159, east of Pense, which includes the area around Grand Coulee.
You can find the Government of Saskatchewan’s fire ban map at this link. If a grassfire does break out, immediately call 9-1-1.