Estevan firefighters were called to field and wildland fires on Wednesday.
The first call came in at about 2 p.m. Crews responded to a field fire occurring south of the hamlet of Benson. Local people started extinguishing efforts instantly, and upon firefighters' arrival, the fire was brought under control.
Some fence posts were still burning, and hotspots were remaining in the area, so crews went in and ensured complete extinguishment.
Estevan Fire Chief Dale Feser thanked people who partook in battling the fire.
"This particular fire's cause was possibly careless discarding of smoking material out of a window of a vehicle, as it occurred right in a roadway easement and spread into a field," Feser said.
"We want to remind people, anytime that you are using any kind of a smoking material to properly extinguish the cigarette butts or whatever else it may be into an ashtray or some sort of vessel or device to contain them."
Shortly after crews returned to the station, a report of another fire came in. Firefighters responded to a large wildland fire occurring south of Hirsch. The Bienfait Fire Department was the first to respond to the emergency, but due to its scale, they requested mutual aid assistance.
"Once crews arrived on the scene, we found that it was rather a large fire that occurred and spread into the village of Hirsch's dumpsite; as well, the landfill site started getting on fire," Feser said. "Bienfait fire was dispatched to this particular location to get that under control."
The North Portal Fire Department was also called in for assistance. The operation wasn't simple, but firefighters were able to bring the situation under control without any loss of property or injuries.
"With larger fires like that and multiple fire departments working together, it's hard to keep accountability, making sure all firefighters are safe and where they are at, and working in a unified effort. But all three fire departments did an excellent job working together and bringing it under control in a very short timeframe," Feser said.
Once the fire was extinguished, the scene was turned back over to the Bienfait Fire Department, and Estevan fire crews returned to the station.
The Estevan Fire Rescue Service is closely monitoring the fire danger index, which changes from moderate to high on a daily basis. While the recent snow and moisture improved the situation a bit, conditions remain relatively dry. So Feser reminded the public to exercise caution if they are burning anything.
