Winnipeg issues warning following grass fire near the Perimeter

A grass fire on Sunday near Centreport Canada Way and the Perimeter Highway prompted a warning from the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) that there could be more wildland fires in the coming weeks.

Just after 4 p.m. on Sunday, firefighters were called to a car fire by the two highways.

Once crews got to the scene, they found the fire had spread from the car to the nearby grass and hay bales. Due to the windy weather, the fire spread quickly and grew to the size of about two football fields.

Extra crew members came to the scene and used specialized equipment to extinguish the flames. Firefighters also used water tankers to shuttle water to the fire.

No one was hurt in the incident.

“It just proves the point right now that we do have very dry conditions,” said WFPS Assistant Chief Scott Wilkinson.

HIGH HAZARD OF WILD LAND FIRES: WFPS

The WFPS said it expects there to be more grass fires in the coming weeks.

“Although we had a lot of moisture in the winter and early spring, it’s drying up quickly, and until such time as it greens up or we get some rain, we do have a fairly high hazard for wild land fires.”

As the ground dries up, residents are reminded to exercise caution when doing any sort of burning. When winds exceed 25 km/h, all open-air fires are prohibited in Winnipeg, even if a resident has a burning permit.

The WFPS reminds residents to never dispose of cigarettes in any sort of vegetation or from car windows. Cigarette butts should also never be put out in planter pots.