Farmers help suppress raging grass fire, question provincial response

The threat of a raging grass fire prompted farmers in the Smeaton area to take quick action over the weekend, and as a result a number of properties were likely saved.

By Saturday afternoon, the fire which had started earlier this month in the Fort a La Corne area grew to 150 square kilometres in size, and winds in the area reached up to 50 kilometres per hour.

David Willness was among several property owners in the area keeping a close eye on the smoke.

“We thought we didn’t have anything to worry about because no one was in contact with us,” he said.

As the day progressed, anxiety began to rise and Willness described how he could see little bits of ash floating toward their properties. As a precaution, Willness hooked up some tillage machines and filled a tank with water.

Around 5 p.m., Willness’s father called 911 and asked what was going on.

“I went down to a neighbour’s on my quad, and when I got down to their house, the fire was almost to their house,” Willness said.

Willness immediately turned around and went back to his own house a mile away to get the equipment he prepared and within two minutes was back at his neighbour’s. Another farmer in the area also responded, and managed to cut the fire off in a field near the house.

“We rent their farmland so we had actually worked the field last fall which was a huge help,” Willness explained.

The farmers in co-ordination with the Smeaton Volunteer Fire Department worked long into Sunday morning, keeping the fire at bay. The provincial response team arrived around 8 a.m., and warnings were issued to property owners in the area warning of the smoke.

“I guess you had to have a special app on your phone to receive these warnings, and most of the people we talked to in this area did not receive them and if they did it was already after the fire was out on the farmland,” Willness said.

Willness said everyone in the area is feeling very fortunate no further property was damaged and no houses were lost, and credits the work of the community who came together to make sure crews on the ground had enough water to keep going.

“There were farmers from Choiceland that brought over huge tanks of water on semis,” he said. “There were people filling the trucks right in the yard so they didn’t have to leave (to go and fill up).”

Ryan Reid also helped with the suppression effort, and explained he didn’t hesitate when his phone rang. His neighbour was on the other end asking for help making a fire guard.

“It was tough to do. Because of the smoke and it was dark, you couldn’t see where you were going and you just had to try and find a landmark like a tree or something,” Reid said, adding he prayed he wouldn’t get stuck.

Much like Willness, Reid said he too was frustrated by the lack of help from the provincial response team.

“Why was this fire allowed to get to this size? And it’s close to peoples’ properties where people were out there with shovels and rakes,” he said.

paNOW reached out to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) for comment. In an email the agency said a SPSA Emergency Services Officer made contact with various area residents to provide fire and smoke information, as well as recommendations in the event that an evacuation was to occur.

“That officer is also in contact with the R.M. of Torch River, the R.M. of Garden River, the James Smith Cree Nation and the community of Smeaton to advise them of changing fire and smoke conditions,” the email stated.

The email also made reference to an emergency management office that is working with the SPSA to monitor conditions and keep residents of the area informed. The email also referenced the SaskAlert that was issued for the area, but did not specify when the advisory was issued or how many farmers received it.

“None of the communities in the area have asked for further assistance at this time or require or evacuation support,” the email said.

Nigel Maxwell, paNOW