Oily rags and glass in a garbage can are apparently to blame for a large fire that swept through six kilometres of southwestern Saskatchewan farmland Sept. 19.
The fire ignited in the hot and windy conditions after the sun shone through the glass and lit the rags, said Eastend fire chief Brent Giverhaug.
“It was not burned by the farmer,” he said.
The fire jumped out of the can and on to the surrounding grass, then destroyed two granaries and quantities of wheat and peas.
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“It took off over the pasture and burned close to 150 bales and, my best estimate is around 2,000 acres of grass,” Giverhaug said.
A couple of homes were in danger but not damaged.
Twenty volunteer firefighters from area communities fought the blaze, which was about 19 kilometres southwest of Eastend.
Giverhaug said other area farmers, ranchers and trucking companies, and all types of water tanks and trucks, were also instrumental in stopping the fire.
“Be very careful in the hot and dry weather,” he said. “Glass bottles lying in the grass can start a fire. They act like a magnifying glass.”
According to Environment Canada weather data, the temperature in Eastend hit 31.7 C on Sept. 19 and the wind was gusting to 67 km-h.
