Article appeared in the Oct 13 issue of the Interlake Spectator…
It required three fire departments to get a grass fire under control in the RM of Armstrong, on Oct. 6. Seven days later, the fire continues to burn underground. Without a heavy soaking of rain, the fire will continue to smoulder beneath the snow all winter, said Fraserwood Fire Department volunteer fire fighter, Joseph Zaik.
“The only thing that will help is a good soaking of rain,” he said.
A total of 34 volunteer fire fighters from the Fraserwood, Inwood and Gimli Fire Departments, as well as EMS personnel, a bulldozer and nine water trucks, were at the site of the out of control grass fire about four miles west of Fraserwood.
It was the first major fire of the year for the region.
RCMP had the road blocked off from PTH 231 at Darowany Rd. from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 pm that night. They returned the next evening to block off the road for a second time. Conditions were still dangerous due to high winds, fire and smoke.
Leonard Kohler made the call to 911 at about 4:20 pm. On Wednesday when he first saw the three ft. high flames just west of his home. The fire started in his neighbour’s yard to the south of his property, and jumped the road, even crossing a water-filled ditch. It quickly travelled the expanse of open field and into the bushes.
Ten minutes after making the emergency call, Kohler returned to discover the flames were burning 20 ft. high, pushed on by wind gusts upward of 90 km/hr., consuming everything in its path.
Two hundred of his 320 acres of bush and pasture burned, an area of about 1-1/2 square miles, including 2-1/2 mi. of fencing. Approximately 70 hay bales were also destroyed by the fire. Members of the family worked quickly to move the remaining bales to safer ground. Fortunately, no injuries to humans or cattle resulted.
Soon after fire fighters arrived on scene a bulldozer was called in to clear a trail into the bush. Fire fighters made a fire break and did a number of controlled burns to contain the fire. Finally, by 9 p.m. the fire that had burned to the north was contained.
“We’re just lucky we contained it at 231. Otherwise, it would have gone all the way to Chatfield,” said Fraserwood Fire Department volunteer, Dave Pomarenski. “There is a fuel build up from so many wet years. It’s going to be wicked here in Armstrong. The fire will be here for months in the ground,” he explained.
Fire Fighters finally went home at 2 a.m., but were called back an hour later, and then again at 6:30 a.m. when a Spruce bluff was discovered burning. Fraserwood fire fighters returned to patrol the area for days and continued to put out hot spots. On Thanksgiving Monday, they spent seven hours dealing with underground fires, and ran sprinklers in the Kohlers’ yard, which overlooks the field.
The fire had initially been started more than one week earlier by a neighbour from Winnipeg, who purchased the property about 1-1/2 years ago. He had been doing some burning, but had put the fire out before returning to the city. After hearing about the turn of events, he paid a visit to the Kohlers to apologise.
“He said he lit it a week and a half ago, and said it had flared up a week ago, and he put it out…Many people who aren’t used to this country living don’t realize how quickly a fire can spread,” said Gladys Kohler, wife of Leonard.
The Kohler family is still sorting out how they will go about getting compensated for their losses.
“Somebody has to cover our costs. Whether it’s him or our insurance, we don’t know at this point. It can’t come out of our pockets,” said Gladys.
A burning ban was not in effect at the time the fire was started. However, the evening of Oct. 6, the RM of Armstrong put out a press release stating that it is restricting fires, and recommended that no burning take place, citing extremely dry and windy conditions.
The province has also put out a notice, banning all burning in eastern Manitoba, and cancelling the burn permits that were already in place. Campfires, only, are allowed within enclosed fire pits.
