You can tell it is springtime from the smoke that rises into the air.
Indeed, it is once again grassfire season, and fire and emergency crews had their hands full battling three eruptions over the holiday weekend, one of which took six hours to get under control.
The most time-consuming of the fires happened two miles northwest of the city off highway 4 and was described as a brush-and-grass mixture fire.
North Battleford Fire and Emergency Services responded around 12:53pm Sunday and were on the scene six hours. Four apparatus and 11 personnel were on the scene, including two pumpers, a water tanker and half-ton brush fire unit.
NBFES were also on the scene Sunday at Territorial Drive West south of the railway tracks, west of the King Hill lookout.
Once again, it was in response to a call regarding a grass/brush fire noticed by a driver on Territorial Drive. According to the fire department less than an acre was burned, and the fire was brought under control. Two apparatus and six personnel were on the scene. The cause of the fire was deemed suspicious.
Finally, fire crews dealt with what was described as a wildland fire on April 22 shortly before noon. It broke out on Square Hill Road, one mile south of highway 378 in the RM of North Battleford, approximately 28 km northeast of the city.
A small cooking fire had erupted into a grass-brush mix. Neighbours with heavy equipment were able to provide a fire break to contain the fire, and BDFES worked to control the fire and extinguish hot spots. Four apparatus and 10 personnel were on the scene for approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes.
