Sporadic rain not enough to eliminate fire bans in province
After a dry July, fire bans have been put in place across southern Saskatchewan. A little rain this week brought a reprieve, but most bans haven’t been lifted.
“We’d have to get a significant amount of rainfall before we could lift the ban. Recent localized showers in some of the areas had a very short-term effect on the hazards,” said Dennis Trueman, operations manager for the provincial fire centre with the Ministry of Environment.
The Ministry of Environment issued a ban Aug. 1 on all fires for provincial Crown land and for parks and recreation sites in southwestern Saskatchewan including Buffalo Pound, Cypress Hills (centre and west blocks), Danielson, Douglas, Saskatchewan Landing, St. Victor’s Petroglyphs and Wood Mountain Post provincial parks, as well as Elbow Harbour, Coldwell Park, Cypress Lake and Lovering Lake recreation sites.
At the Buffalo Pound Provincial Park campground store, Lakeside Foods, business hasn’t been hurt by the fire ban.
“I think that most people are just so happy that it’s summertime that it’s been so hot it hasn’t had a huge impact on business,” said Tracy Balerud, owner of Lakeside Foods.
Balerud has brought in extra stock to deal with the fire ban. She ordered in more briquettes and has special-ordered propane fire bowls. “(The fire ban) hasn’t really impacted the store in any negative way. If anything we may have sold more ready-made food, like hotdogs and taco-in-a-bag and pizza,” Balerud said.
Along with the provincial ban, several municipalities have bans in place as well. Moose Jaw and the surrounding area has a ban in place. Swift Current does not have a ban but the surrounding municipalities do. Estevan and Weyburn do not have fire bans in place.
Moose Jaw received rain Wednesday, but the fire chief said it will take more moisture, along with co-operation from the surrounding areas for the ban to be lifted.
“We don’t want to have a mixed message where, ‘Well it’s OK to do it here or there and maybe still not in other areas.’ For the time being we’ll certainly keep the ban in effect,” said Rod Montgomery, fire chief for the City of Moose Jaw.
In the southeastern part of the province some municipalities have fire bans in place while others have removed them.
The Village of Alida and RM of Reciprocity put a fire ban in place the middle of last week. However, Wednesday, after receiving a rainfall, the ban was lifted.