Grass fire south of Saskatoon spread to adjacent homes, department says

Firefighters from Saskatoon and area had to team up on Tuesday afternoon as a grass fire spread south of the city, engulfing several structures.

The Saskatoon Fire Department said reports came in just after 3:30 p.m. of smoke showing off Highway 11 and west on Victor Road.

When crews arrived they found a field ablaze with flames spreading into some brush, according to the fire department.

(Chad Hills / CTV News)

With winds gusting close to 50 kilometres an hour, the fire quickly spread to other sections of land and to nearby homes. Crews were called in from Clavet to assist and Saskatoon RCMP officers moved in to shut down Victor Road.

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"The combination of the air temperature, humidity and wind created difficult conditions for the fire crews," the fire department said in an update Wednesday.

The fire quickly spread to adjacent homes, vehicles and accessory buildings, moving north and south from its point of origin.

According to the fire department, local farmers pitched in, creating a fire break using tractors and diskers. Several buildings were lost.

The blaze was under control by 2 a.m. Wednesday morning. Damage is estimated to be upwards of $3 million.

(Courtesy: Saskatoon Fire Department)