Meewasin Valley Authority says a large grass fire on Monday approximately 16 kilometres south of Saskatoon on Highway 219 at the entrance to the Beaver Creek Conservation area was not part of the MVA’s Prescribed Fire Program. The MVA says weather conditions on April 18th did not meet Meewasin’s safety criteria.

Any fires conducted by Meewasin requires a permit through the Saskatoon Fire Department where a plan is presented which includes where, when and how the burn will be conducted along with considered conditions. The conditions they consider include wind speed, wind direction, days since precipitation, fuel moisture and relative humidity among other factors. The fires are planned and supervised by an experienced fire boss.

The MVA says their prescribed fires involves a process that takes months to plan and prepare as they wait for weather conditions to be optimal. Meewasin’s Resource Management Officer, Renny Grilz says ideal conditions for prescribed fires is moderate humidity, lower temperatures and low winds from a consistent direction to blow smoke away from neighborhoods and key roads.

For those who want to be more informed about the use of a prescribed fire, you can take a 15 hour course called the Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange which can be taken by anyone.