A prairie fire that swept across 3,300 acres of the Monet PFRA pasture Nov. 25 is not expected to affect cattle stocking rates next year.
George Brown, manager of pasture operations in Saskatchewan for the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration, said a south wind moved the fire across pastures, scorching fence lines in its path. No animals or buildings were affected.
“We expect a natural recovery of the native prairie will occur with little intervention,” he said. Cattle can graze some of the other fields within the 47,000 acre pasture if necessary.
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The cause of the fire is unknown but pastures in the southwest are extremely dry this fall.
“We’re just praying we get good snow cover and get a good runoff,” said Brown.
A half dozen area fire departments responded to the fire, which also affected 1,000 acres of Ivan Thomson’s pasture at Dinsmore, Sask.
Watching it rapidly spread over the hills reminded him of pioneer tales of grass fires.
“You’d never believe it,” said Thomson, who has never seen anything like it on his farm.
Thomson said possible causes of the fire were the large number of hunters in the area, as well as the dry ground.
He moved his bison away from the path of the fire, but he is still looking for one animal.
None of the land affected was insured.
