No injuries, one home lost in Sweetgrass First Nation grass fire

“We were fortunate we had the available manpower and equipment to stop the head of the fire, which allowed us to concentrate on the flanks,” Gabruch said.

The fire started on the east side of the First Nation and rapidly spread east, scorching around 50 acres of grass, bush and stubble in the process. The flames left the reserve and entered the Rural Municipality of Battle River, which abuts the reservation.

At the time, RCMP warned people to avoid the area and urged residents of Sweetgrass, the Table Mountain area and Village of Prongua near Highway 40 to be on alert and prepared.

The melted siding of a home on the Sweetgrass First Nation is seen after a fast-moving grass fire tore through the area. (Tyler Marr/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Gabruch said the fire had the potential to spiral out of control given the lack of moisture and high winds.

“When you have winds of that velocity, time is something that you don’t have,” he said. “We were fortunate the wind did not change while we were in the evolution of putting that fire out.”

SaskPower and SaskEnergy were needed to help with disconnects as a gas line ruptured in the home that burned down.

Gabruch applauded the joint efforts of everyone involved, adding the Sweetgrass members were appreciative of the department for coming to their aid.

“They could have lost all those houses and they didn’t want to be responsible for a fire that leaves the First Nation and brings implements the rest of the countryside,” he said.

The high number of grass fires in the province this spring is not atypical according to Provincial Fire Commissioner Duane McKay. However, he said they are condensed due to the dry conditions, high winds and sudden spike in warm temperatures.

“The snow left very rapidly, the winds have come up and they have dried a lot of these areas out and we have not seen significant rain,” he said. “The ground hasn’t warmed sufficiently to cause rapid growth of the normal grasses and so on.”

While many things can start a fire, McKay said all the fires in the southern half of the province are believed to be human-caused. He said cigarette butts, idling trucks and ATVs, especially those with the spark arrester removed, have caused fires in the past.

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tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr

by Tyler Marr

No injuries, one home lost in Sweetgrass First Nation grass fire

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