ESTEVAN - Now that fall is here and many producers have wrapped up harvest operations, there is an increasing number of controlled burns in southeast Saskatchewan.
Estevan Fire Chief Rick Davies said if someone in a rural municipality is going to conduct such a fire, it's up to them to report it through the Controlled Burn Line at 1-866-404-4911.
"It is their responsibility to report it, and they can do that by calling a number that will put them in contact with the provincial dispatch, where they'll be asked some questions to do with their burn, the land location, which RM they're in, who the fire department is, how long the burn is going to be, just different questions like that," said Davies.
If they want, they can call into their fire department to give them a heads-up that a burn is happening.
"I would recommend that it's a requirement, for various reasons. Again, a lot of times, passersby along highways and things like that will report fires," said Davies. "If there is a controlled burn that is occurring out in the country and a fire department is dispatched because there are no reports, that landowner will be subject to an invoice from that responding fire department."
If a burn is reported in advance in the area, then dispatch will know not to send out the firefighters, or the department can just check in to see what is happening.
If the fire does get out of control, then the producer would be subject to the cost of the department's response.
"It would definitely be in their best interest to call for assistance if it does get out of control," said Davies.
And should somebody need to reschedule a controlled burn due to weather conditions or other factors, Davies asks them to call the Controlled Burn Line.
"I don't think they need to give much of a notice," said Davies. "I think they can get everything to go, phone it in and say we're going to be starting this."
The fire department doesn't get a lot of calls stemming from controlled burns. People in the area are typically very responsible with their notifications, and Davies hopes people are becoming more aware of the need to take the necessary steps in advance.
"It seems like for the amount of burns that do happen in the fall and stuff around here, we aren't dispatched to very many, or there aren't very many issues, so I feel that a lot of people do know what to do. We will try to get information when we can through the RM offices," said Davies.
Fall is a busy time for farmers to burn grass, stubble or bush piles, as is the early spring before seeding starts.
If someone is going to have a controlled burn, they should pay attention to the wind conditions. Davies also recommends it happen in the evening.
"As the sun sets, you get the cooling and the moisture that come out at night, which can help extinguish that fire throughout the evening, versus doing it in the middle of the day. As the day progresses, things usually warm up in the afternoon and wind will pick up."
The fire chief reminds the public it is illegal to have any kind of controlled burn within the city limits. The fires also can't happen if there is a burning ban in the RM, but no such bans are currently in place.
