'Conditions were tough': Saskatoon Fire Department battles large grass fire for second day

Saskatoon fire crews spent a second day battling a large blaze along Highway 16 southeast of the city. The incident could mark the start of another intense wildfire season.

The fire department was called to the scene of the grass fire Tuesday afternoon, after a controlled burn spread too quickly.

“Conditions were tough out there,” said Saskatoon Fire Department deputy chief Rob Hogan.

Hogan said the marsh and wetlands posed a challenge for firefighters.

“Fields are very dry, it was very easy for the fire to move across and move really quickly, even though the wind wasn’t all that strong,” he said.

He said about 25 or more fire fighters were on scene. During the night, about 60 hay bales caught fire. Crews came back the next morning to put out hot spots.

Meanwhile local farmers stepped-in to help prevent the fire from spreading.

“That’s a common thing when we respond to the rural area like that, different farmers are very willing to bring cultivators or different equipment to give us a hand,” Hogan said.

While there are still lingering hot spots, Hogan said cooler conditions and rainfall could prevent future flare-ups.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, Environment Canada took to social media telling Canadians to brace for another grueling wildfire season.

“Due to dry conditions across most of the country this past fall and winter and expected higher-than-normal temperatures this spring, it appears likely that Canadians could experience another challenging summer for wildfires,” Environment Canada posted on X.

Canada had the worst wildfire season on record last year. Fires burned more than 15 million hectares of land and forced 230,000 people from their homes.