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Fire shuts down Little Red River Park

May 2, 2015 | 3:08 PM

UPDATE: PAFD reports the fire is contained and residents given the go-ahead to return home. PAFD also says the barricades have been taken down and the park is once again open.

A fire in Little Red River Park changed people’s leisurely plans on Saturday afternoon.

Prince Albert Police and Prince Albert Fire Department (PAFD) vehicles blocked areas around the park’s entrance and a bylaw officer turned traffic away.

For anyone who’d considered going to the park, it’s important to turn back to reduce congestion in the park area so emergency responders can move, said Prince Albert Fire Department’s deputy fire chief Corey Rodgers.

Rodgers said crews acted quickly when a call came in about a grass and brush fire in the park around 2 p.m.

By 2:30 p.m. faint smoke plumes could be seen from the Diefenbaker Bridge. The smell of smoke and a faint haze filled the park.

Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management planes dropped fire retardent and as of 3:30 p.m. the fire seemed mainly under control. However, emergency steps were taken.

“We’ve evacuated a few houses, and we actually sent out an alert using PA Alert to the country, residential people to the east just to let them know what’s going on and to be on the alert, that they could be evacuated,” Rodgers said.

Ground crews and water tankers with PAFD and Buckland Fire and Rescue were in action to contain the fire.

Emergency crews had a grand task ensuring everyone in the park was evacuated.

People with bicycles, and vehicles full of people could be seen making their way out of the park around 2:30 p.m.

Rodgers confirmed this is the first time the P.A. emergency mass notification has been used for an actual emergency since it’s been up and running. 

The fire reached four acres. By 5:30 p.m. on Saturday it was 80 per cent out.

claskowski@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @chelsealaskowsk