By battlefordsNOW Staff

UPDATE: Two grass fires have departments busy

Apr 18, 2016 | 4:29 PM

UPDATE: As of 5:15 p.m. April 18, Highway 16 has been reopened however crews continue to monitor the situation.

The Maidstone RCMP, Maidstone Fire Department and the Paynton Fire Department are on the scene of a grass fire on Highway 16 near Paynton.

The fire started on the south side of the road and is crossing over the highway. RCMP officers are blocking the highway and there is zero visibility due to the smoke.

Roosters Garage in Paynton lost approximately 15 vehicles to the fire and two other vehicles were damaged in the scrap yard. By 5 p.m. the fire was fully contained. At this time, the town of Paynton is under a partial fire ban. Constable Ryan Reid of the Maidestone Enhanced Policing Unit said “at this point it is a criminal investigation and we are looking into it.”

Firefighters tackled a second fire earlier today. It took the North Battleford Fire Department just under an hour to extinguish a grass fire eight km north of the city on Highway 4.

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Crews were called to the scene at around 1 p.m. and were able to control the fire within an hour.

The flames threatened two tractors, a boat, a camper and a shop building, however all items were saved. No injuries were reported.

The fires come as crews across the province begin looking towards what could be a busy fire season.

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