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Crews will continue to battle fire burning near Holbein into Monday

May 13, 2018 | 6:33 PM

A mixture of bulldozers, helicopters, air tankers and over 60 personnel continue to work on a wildfire burning west of Prince Albert, known as the Rally fire.

The blaze broke out Saturday evening south of the village of Holbein, approximately 30 kilometres west of the city.

Steve Roberts with Wildfire Management said crews have machine guards with bulldozers on the north flank of the fire and down most of the east and west sides down to the North Saskatchewan River.

“As soon as it cools off in the evening and the fire behaviour drops right down … they are going to push those lines straight south and look to use the river as their southern guard,” Roberts told paNOW.

He said the winds Sunday stirred up the blaze and forced wildfire teams to deploy resources on the south side of the river to extinguish any firebrands or sparks that jumped the river. Roberts said crews knocked down at least two spark ups that did occur in dry fields.

He maintained there are no immediate threats posed by the fire and that no structures have been damaged.

The blaze is approximately 1,024 hectares or 10.24 square kilometres in size.

It is believed the fire is human-caused. Roberts said investigation specialists have been sent out to clarify the cause and see if they can determine a specific ignitor or place of origin.

While no major surprises have interrupted their efforts, Roberts said with the fire close to a number of municipalities, it has generated significant interest.

He asked the public to resist the urge to venture out on either the north or south side of the river to catch a glimpse of the fire.

“We have heavy equipment [and] because the road access is limited, we’d prefer the public not come out and get a look and have a peak of the fire,” he said.

With the unusual tinder-dry conditions plaguing much of the province, Roberts urged residents to stay privy to local fire bans and remain cautious when outdoors to prevent fires, such as this, from starting.

 

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr