Dearth of alerts in Dundurn grass fire 'a lesson learned': fire commissioner

The roaring fire sparked by training exercise at Canadian Forces Dundurnon Saturday stoked fear among nearby residents and now provincial officials are responding to their concerns.

After the flames settled,peoplewho lived in the area decried a lack of communication from officials.

He maintained the fire was contained, from a technical aspect.

However,McKaysaid he could see why people would be concerned with the "wall of fire and the amount of smoke."

"That's a lesson learned from this spring and we'll see if we can't find better ways to communicate on sort of what is going on, even if there isn't an immediate threat."

The province is looking into how to use the SaskAlertApp to share basic information with people rather than onlyemergency notifications, he said.

People with theapp could receive general information like the level of a fire's containment on their phones. It would include a map that highlights the area of concern and links to a web page that will contain more information.

Tossed cigarette butt sparkedLumsden-areablaze

It was a cigarette butt tossed out of a carwindow that caused the fire that swept through theLumsdenValley, McKay said.

Another large grass fire burned nearWascanaValley Trails just a few days before.

Currently, moisture is minimal in the ground and the depleted grass has becomefuel for firebecause the transition between the seasons happened so fast.

The quick melt coupled with the high winds have created conditions perfect for fire, McKay said.

"Until itstarts to green up, we need to be very aware of the fire risk conditions."

He has askedpeople tobe proactive and mindful of the risky conditions as they engage in warm weatheractivities before the annual green up.

For example, he advised people to remove potential fuel, like wood and dried leaves, from the sides of their home.

People should be cautiouswhen discarding cigarette butts and people driving quadsshouldn't idle over long grass, he said.

Furthermore,farmers should also be careful when doing controlled burns because they can quickly become out of control.

In 2017, the fire season flared up around the end of July timing considered late by McKay.

It concluded near October's end, when wildfire fuelled by high winds burned through the southwestern parts of the province.

Hundreds of livestock were killed and people were evacuated from multiple communities.

The province has since implemented a "single-engine air tanker program."

"That's crop dusting aircraft to be called in to assist ground forces when it comes to fighting fire," McKay said. The program hasn't been used yet, but 26 pilots have been trained and more are likely to be added to the roster this summer.

The province says people should report controlled burns to1-866-404-4911 and call 911 if they see a grass fire.