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Photo taken during the active fire at the elevator in Borden. (Image Credit: submitted/ battlefordsNOW)
"It could have gotten a lot worse"

Workers’ quick response helps limit damage in Borden grain dryer fire

Oct 21, 2026 | 11:05 AM

Borden and District Fire Department’s fire chief said quick action by workers helped prevent a fire at a local grain elevator from becoming much worse.

“The fire was more or less contained when we got there. We put out the truck and cooled things down, and that was about it,” said Fire Chief Ian Wainwright.

Walker Farms, which owns the elevator, said in a Facebook post that the fire was caused by a grain dryer. Workers used fire extinguishers and water to help contain the blaze before firefighters arrived.

“If the people that were on site working there hadn’t done what they had done, it could have gotten a lot worse.”

Wainwright noted that stronger winds, like those experienced in recent days, could have pushed the fire toward the elevator, potentially turning it into a much larger incident. He estimated the overall damage at roughly $40,000.

“The truck was a loss. The grain dryer was just a small diesel grain dryer; it’s a loss,” he said.

The extent of any damage to the grain or the bin remains undetermined. Wainwright said there was no damage to the elevator itself, but the bin had been heated, leaving some uncertainty about potential damage.


Video taken recently after the fire. (Ryan Lambert/ battlefordsNOW)

Walker Farms thanked everyone who stepped in to help during the incident.

“It’s a good reminder of how fortunate we are to have such a great team and community behind us!” the farm said in its Facebook post.

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Alyssa.rudolph@pattisonmedia.com