Updated: Fire burning near P.A. contained

A wildfire that ignited at about 1 p.m. Friday just north of Prince Albert has been contained.

The fire was located northeast of the wildfire operations centre and southeast of the Red River Roping and Riding Arena. A person familiar with the area said the fire is burning in “the coliseum”, a sand pit where some people go to party and hang out. A ministry official described the fire as burning one mile south of the Red River Roping and Riding Club. As of 4 p.m., it was between seven and eight hectares large, or 0.07-0.08 square kilometres.

By Saturday morning, the size of the fire had been updated to 15 hectares, or 0.15 square kilometres. The fire hadn’t grown, but crews had been able to better estimate its size. The estimated location shown on the province’s wildfire information system shows the fire burning about 250 m north of the sand pit, in an area accessible from both Little Red River Park and the Kristi Lake Nature Trail entrance.

The location is about 400m west of the northwest corner of Little Red River Park, where it ends at Lempereur Road.

Both wildfire management and Buckland Fire Rescue trucks were seen responding to the fire.

According to the Ministry of Environment, the fire was reported just after 1 p.m. and is being fought by ministry and Buckland crews with air tanker support.

An RCMP officer was working to close the road leading to Mark’s Nine and the Kristi Lake Nature Trail.

Members of the public were advised to avoid the area and to avoid becoming a hazard by stopping on the highway. There was no immediate threat to property. Wind blowing towards Highway 2, posed a risk of causing smoke drift in the area.

Crews are expected to continue working on and around the fire throughout the weekend.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, but there was no lightning in the area.