A grass fire ignited during a military training exercise south of Saskatoon at the Canadian Forces Detachment (CFD) Dundurn in the late afternoon Saturday.
“A fire started in the Detachment’s training area where members from the Canadian Army from across 3rd Canadian Division were conducting an armoured reconnaissance exercise,” Maj. Stéphane Morency, the commanding officer of CFD Dundurn, said in a statement.
CFD Dundurn range control firefighters immediately responded to the fire.
Due to high winds, the fire had spread to the northern edge of the training area by 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Both Saskatoon and Dundurn fire departments were called in to provide assistance.
The Saskatoon Fire Department said they received a call for mutual aid at 12:45 a.m. on Sunday.
Saskatoon sent two fire brush trucks and two water tankers to help protect homes in the hamlet of Beaver Creek. Saskatoon crews were on scene until 6:40 a.m. on Sunday.
On Sunday morning, CFD Dundurn said the fire was largely contained.
Crews were monitoring hotspots and continued to contain the fire that was burning on Sunday afternoon, according to Morency.
The fire was originally thought to be a controlled burn, after Saskatoon police issued a news release early Sunday morning which read, “Canadian Forces Base Dundurn are currently conducting controlled burns within the military base.”
A special air quality statement was issued for Saskatoon early Sunday morning, prompted by the fire, but it ended around 9:30 a.m. CT on Sunday.
“At this time an investigation is ongoing, no further information can be discussed,” said Morency.