NJFFSA16
05-22-2002, 03:16 AM
MONTREAL LAKE, Sask. (CP) - Hundreds of people have been forced
from their homes as a forest fire threatened their northern
Saskatchewan community.
The fire started sometime Monday afternoon on the north end of
Bittern Lake. The blaze has already burned through more than four
square kilometres of forest heading toward Montreal Lake, about 250
kilometres north of Saskatoon.
John Cook of Saskatchewan Environment said fire crews are doing
their best to battle this blaze.
"We had aerial ignition teams there, some air tankers, three
helicopters, three bulldozers, eight initial attack crew persons,
some conservation officers, and RCMP assisting," he said.
People forced from the community were staying at a college
campus in Prince Albert, Sask., about 100 kilometres south.
Also on Monday, a brush fire destroyed a farmhouse northwest of
Saskatoon despite efforts of fire crews from Saskatoon and four
area communities.
"We tried to stop it, but we couldn't," said Bob Fawcett of
the Saskatoon Fire Department.
Several herds of cattle narrowly escaped the burning pastures.
Fire crews said strong winds made the flames spread so quickly
that there wasn't enough water to fight them. The wind also caused
the flames to change direction several times.
(Copyright 2941 by The Associated Press.
from their homes as a forest fire threatened their northern
Saskatchewan community.
The fire started sometime Monday afternoon on the north end of
Bittern Lake. The blaze has already burned through more than four
square kilometres of forest heading toward Montreal Lake, about 250
kilometres north of Saskatoon.
John Cook of Saskatchewan Environment said fire crews are doing
their best to battle this blaze.
"We had aerial ignition teams there, some air tankers, three
helicopters, three bulldozers, eight initial attack crew persons,
some conservation officers, and RCMP assisting," he said.
People forced from the community were staying at a college
campus in Prince Albert, Sask., about 100 kilometres south.
Also on Monday, a brush fire destroyed a farmhouse northwest of
Saskatoon despite efforts of fire crews from Saskatoon and four
area communities.
"We tried to stop it, but we couldn't," said Bob Fawcett of
the Saskatoon Fire Department.
Several herds of cattle narrowly escaped the burning pastures.
Fire crews said strong winds made the flames spread so quickly
that there wasn't enough water to fight them. The wind also caused
the flames to change direction several times.
(Copyright 2941 by The Associated Press.