NORTH BATTLEFORD - Update: The City of North Battleford is advising the fire ban has now been lifted as of Aug. 29. The ban was originally implemented on Aug. 12.
Original post: The North Battleford Fire Department has issued a fire ban for the city due to the continuing hot, dry conditions in the area.
The ban is in effect within city limits due to the "extreme" rating on the Provincial Fire Weather Index issued by the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) for the region.
Burning can only occur in approved fire pits in North Battleford.
Any burning that takes place outside of an approved fire pit is considered illegal. Use of external cooking devices, like barbecues and smokers, is allowed. Any fires or burns not in an approved fire pit should be reported immediately to the North Battleford Fire Department by calling 9-1-1. Suspicious behaviour can also be reported to the RCMP at 306-446-1720 or Community Safety Officers at 306-445-1775, the city confirmed.
Fire Chief Lindsay Holm told SaskToday that SPSA are reporting extremely dry conditions through the province.
"We assessed the conditions around the city of North Battleford, and with the warm weather we have had recently, without any precipitation of any magnitude, we just felt that the conditions were extreme in the city as well," he said. "So, we wanted to make sure we weren't having any issues with respect to fires that weren't in approved fire pits. It's just something we felt was a prudent step to take."
