Grass fires singe Southeast

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This article was published 27/03/2021 (1659 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Warm spring weather a general lack of snow this winter have combined to create dry conditions that are causing grass fire season to arrive in the Southeast a month ahead of schedule.

Fire departments in Tache, Vita, Richer, and Steinbach all responded to grass or brush fires of varying sizes over the past week.

The largest tore through a marshy area northeast of Ross last Wednesday afternoon.

“When we were en route, we could see a wall of smoke and fire. In some areas there was 30 to 40-foot flames,” Tache Municipal Fire Chief Allan Rau said.

Firefighters mustered resources east of Provincial Road 302 near the corner of Road 46E and Road 52N.

With the assistance of a drone belonging to Tache’s public works department, Rau said crews quickly determined the fire was running along a provincial forestry road on the boundary between the RMs of Tache and Reynolds.

Pushed south by strong north winds, the fire damaged an estimated 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) of land.

“It’s a very marshy area, that whole area, and when it got into the reeds and tall grasses, because it was so dry, that’s when it just blew across,” Rau said. “Bush itself, not a lot burned, but whenever it got in that marshy area, that’s when it really burned fiercely.”

The fire department’s primary concern was protecting eight nearby homes.

“Once we knew that the homes were going to be safe, we then started advancing on that fire and started putting it out,” Rau said.

Road access in the area is limited so all-terrain track vehicles were used.

“The rest was on foot, lugging hose and backpacks,” Rau said.

After eight hours of work, the blaze was extinguished.

“The following morning we sent the drone up again, and it was all out,” Rau said.

Wildland gear purchased by the department last year helped firefighters avoid injury.

Rau said the department didn’t determine the cause of the fire. He urged Tache residents to pay close attention to municipal fire restrictions, which are currently tighter in wards east of Highway 12.

Vita Fire Department spent last Thursday evening at the scene of a brush fire that consumed nearly 400 acres of private land along Road 36E between Road 4N and 5N.

“It was a mile long and about a half-mile wide,” Deputy Fire Chief Harv Nickel said. “When we got the call there was two residences on either side of the fire, so that was our main priority.”

In addition to water, firefighters used leaf blowers to contain the fire’s spread.

On Friday, the department also responded to small pasture fire north of Vita that spread through a ditch and onto some Crown land.

Nickel urged area to use “extreme caution” when lighting anything.

“It’s tinder-dry out there.”

Richer Fire Department made quick work a one-acre grass fire on Saturday afternoon just outside town.

Fire Chief Chris Wilkins said grass along the north ditch of the Trans-Canada Highway ignited and quickly spread into nearby bush. Wilkins said the fire had no definite cause.

Steinbach Fire Department responded Sunday to a small grass fire on private property along Road 35E south of Friedensfeld.

Fire Chief Kel Toews said the fire was “fairly minor” and was brought under control before crews arrived.

Manitoba Conservation and Climate published a fire report online Monday.

“Fire danger levels are expected to increase quickly across Southern and Central Manitoba this spring where municipalities are already observing the first human caused wildfires of the season,” the report stated.

“Southern and Central Manitoba are especially dry this spring due to significantly reduced moisture levels last fall, combined with lower than normal winter snow accumulations.”

The province is reminding burn permit holders to check weather conditions, have adequate suppression equipment on hand, and ensure fuel breaks are in place before burning.

ATV riders should stay on developed trails, stop frequently to check the engine and exhaust for debris, and carry a small shovel, axe, and fire extinguisher.