By Rebbeca Marroquin

Overnight open fire burns historic farm site near Christopher Lake

Sep 5, 2017 | 11:21 AM

An overnight campfire that wasn’t extinguished properly ignited a blaze on a historic farm site near Christopher Lake last weekend.

Lakeland Fire Department Chief Chris McShannock said it took 14 people, two fire trucks, and multiple pieces of field equipment to save Hanson Hill, an 80-year-old farm site eight kilometers South of Christopher Lake.

McShannock said an investigation concluded somebody walking along the highway started a campfire Friday night due to cold weather and the wind moved leftover embers onto the field the following day.

The fire grew 137 hectares in size and took an hour and a half to control, according to McShannock.  

“It happens… it’s not so much accidental the way this one was, but it happens regularly,” he said.

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McShannock said fire chiefs have attended to 30 grassfires this year.

Ralph Hanson, who grew up at the farm, said he was at Emma Lake when he got the news. 

“If the fire hadn’t been stopped, it would’ve surely gone into the farm yard and burnt everything down,” he said.

A province-wide open fire ban is currently in place.  

rebbeca.marroquin@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @becamarroquin