Rain, cooler temps help fire crews by P.A.

Had the fire happened earlier, the drier conditions the day before could have led to very different results.

“We would have had a major fire going through all the bush area,” Howat said.

He said the RCMP is investigating the cause of that fire.

Update on the area’s wildfires

The Ministry of Environment says one of two wildfires in central Saskatchewan around Prince Albert have been contained.

The Torch Fire, north of White Fox, is 1,334 hectares in size. That’s 13.3 square kilometres.

“The fire perimeter’s been surrounded with containment lines and some natural barriers there,” said the Ministry of Environment’s Scott Wasylenchuk.

On Wednesday night through Thursday, crews were putting out about 46 hot spots around that perimeter.

“They’re patrolling it for hot spots, working from the outside edge in toward the middle. So we don’t expect any further growth on that fire at this time,” Wasylenchuk said.

A wildfire 15 kilometres south of Candle Lake, dubbed the Ridge Fire, is still uncontained but cooler temperatures have given crews “an opportunity to aggressively go after that,” Wasylenchuk said.

“We’re putting ground crews and heavy equipment right on the line and trying to bring that to containment as well.”

The Ridge Fire, at 3, 184 hectares in size (or 31.8 square kilometres), is similar in size to the city of North Battleford.

The fire risk in the province has dropped to “moderate to high.” Wasylenchuk said although rain was widespread, it was scattered throughout Saskatchewan.

There are currently 24 active fires in the province. To date there have been 255 fires, compared to 143 last year.

claskowski@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @chelsealaskowsk

by Chelsea Laskowski

Rain, cooler temps help fire crews by P.A.

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