Boxing Day is not normally a day you associate with grass fires.

However, the Swift Current Rural Fire Department attended a fire call south of the city December 26th and when they arrived around 5:15 p.m., firefighters encountered a blaze eating through the dry grass and some trees at the edge of a field.

Fire Chief for the Swift Current Rural Fire Department, Louis Cherpin, says it’s the first time in his 30 years that they’ve had a grass fire this late in December.

Cherpin and his crew managed to extinguish the blaze by 7:30 p.m. He thanks the local farmers, who came out to help with their own equipment, for fighting the fire before crews arrived, containing it for the most part.

The fire department says the damage wasn’t a huge dollar loss, eating up some dry brush and grass. The flames were far away from any infrastructure or equipment, with the cause still under investigation.

Cherpin warns rural residents to watch if burning rubbish or anything on a farm site because everything has been dry with no moisture and although the grass is brown, it’ll still burn.

He also says making sure equipment is not running too hot, being careful to not flick cigarette butts into open spaces, and maintaining a ready supply of water for emergencies will be key in the new year.

(swiftcurrentonline.com)