Biggar fire put out as fire threat in area decreases

The state of emergency in Biggar is expected to be lifted on Friday as crews have the nearby wildfire contained and under control.

The blaze that burned through a wilderness area used for backpacking and cross-country skiing is essentially extinguished while crews spend the day mopping up hot spots.

A small ski chalet that was used as a warming shack was the only structure lost in the fire while the cattle in a nearby pasture land were successfully relocated.

The approximately 50 evacuees that fled the Biggar area are expected to return home sometime Friday.

Duane McKay, the provincial fire commissioner, does not expect the wildfire to smolder through into the summer, adding it’s unlikely to spread any further.

“That’s the nice thing about these fires is when we contain them, we really burn everything around that outside edge. There may be smoke in those particular areas as stumps will continue to burn and the fire service will continue to monitor that throughout the summer,” said McKay.

The cause of the wildfire, which grew to approximately 10 square kilometres, is still under investigation. McKay expects a cause or at least a location of origin within the next few days.

To date, all the wildfires in 2019 have been human caused, according to McKay. Those causes include open fires, welding and discarded cigarettes.

McKay encourages the public to ensure open fires are completely extinguished and stay fire smart. He suggests removing combustibles from near homes, and mow and water your lawn.

“The green-up is really what we’re waiting for so as soon as the new spring growth comes up through (the dead growth), then the fire danger drops significantly,” said McKay.

Cooler temperatures with a chance of rain and snow this weekend are also expected to help lower the fire risk across the region. When the wildfire started near Biggar on Monday, a large portion of southern Saskatchewan was under an extreme fire threat. Conditions improved by Friday, with the same area mostly down to a high or moderate fire threat.

“That should give the fire services and certainly the provincial resources a bit of a rest while we regroup and prepare for whatever mother nature brings,” McKay said.