Farm fire near Moose Jaw highlights risks of tossing cigarettes from vehicles

A recent fire in a farmer’s field southeast of Moose Jaw is serving as a reminder not throw burning cigarettes out of car windows.

Nick Cornea, a farmer near Drinkwater, said someone threw a lit smoke out of their vehicle on Monday, when it was hot and windy, sparking a blaze in a farmer’s combined wheat field.

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“When I noticed it, the flames were probably 10 or 12 feet high, and she was roaring,” Cornea said during an appearance on the Greg Morgan Morning Show.

Cornea said he, his dad, and their harvest crew jumped into action, calling neighbours and 911 to rally everyone together as quickly as possible.

“It was like a phone tree,” Cornea explained. “You phone one neighbour, and that neighbour phoned five more because they’re not right at the at the incident.”

Listen to Cornea’s interview on the Greg Morgan Morning Show:

By the time the dust settled, Cornea said there were 30 to 40 people out helping to fight the fire with 20 to 25 different pieces of equipment, and the Pense District Fire Department was also on the scene.

No injuries were reported, but Cornea said one of his neighbours lost a semi and water trailer while battling the blaze.

“They were fighting the fire close up and melted some air lines or something, and the truck got stranded and fire took it out, so that was sad,” he said.

Cornea described the entire situation as intense.

“My adrenaline was through the roof,” he said.

“My heart was racing, and we were making sure everyone got out of like the semi OK, and made sure everyone was accounted for, and all the little hot spots were put out and weren’t going to spark back up again.”