Fire ban in effect for RM of Vanscoy after grass fire

The Rural Municipality of Vanscoy, located southwest of Saskatoon, is under a complete fire ban.

The municipality issued the ban on Tuesday beginning at midnight CST. It comes after a grass fire went out of control in the area on Monday.

Leonard Junop, reeve for the RM of Vanscoy, said the fire was on the west side of Highway 60, at the corner of Highway 60 and Christiansen Road.

Junop said the fire started as a controlled burn but quickly became unmanageable.

"It's just the grass right now is so dry and there's no green growth coming yet, it just takes off and burns," Junop said.

In a release issued Monday, the RM stated that the ban will apply to all lands located within the RM of Vanscoy, with the exception of some municipalities including Delisle and the Village of Vanscoy, and Pike Lake Provincial Park.

"They don't seem to get too worried about the towns and villages because there isn't the big grass areas there," Junop said.

The ban prohibits agricultural or commercial burning, open burning, fireworks, campfires, fire pits, burning barrels and incinerators of any kind. CSA and UL-approved appliances such as liquid-fuel barbecues, fire tables and camp stoves are still allowed.

Junop expects the ban to be rescinded as the weather begins to change and the grass turns green.

"The grass should start to grow as soon as we get some more heat," he said.

"Once we get some green material in the ground then we can take the fire ban off."

Junop said he hopes everyone can be considerate of the ban as long as it is in effect.

"Some people don't like to see a fire ban, but when the fire is burning on your front doorstep, you don't like to see that either."