The Prince Albert Fire Department was put on standby to help with any emergencies in the RM of Buckland after Buckland Fire and Rescue spent five-and-a-half hours battling a log fire Sunday afternoon.

Firefighters were called to the scene at around 1 p.m. after receiving reports of a fire west of Whitfield Rd., which is located northwest of Prince Albert. Buckland Fire and Rescue responded with an engine and tanker, and five firefighters where they discovered a delimber logging machine fully engulfed next to a large log pile.

The fire was large enough that another tanker and utility vehicle were called in to assist. Buckland Command also put in a request for the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) to attend the scene.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the delimber with water and foam. The company on scene also used heavy equipment separated burned logs from unburned logs in the pile next to the machine. The second crew of Buckland firefighters began soaking the burned logs when they arrived on scene.

The fire left only one crew remaining to cover any other emergency calls that may have come in, causing Buckland Command to request the Prince Albert Fire Department remain on standby if another emergency occurred.

The SPSA was rerouted to a more serious fire and were unable to attend the scene.

Buckland fire crews extinguished the fire, mopped up the scene, and were back at the station by 6:32 p.m.