What started out as a controlled burn has now grown to an out of control fire in the Prince Albert National Park.
The Rabbit Creek fire has been burning for close to three weeks and reached more than 31,000 hectares in size.
The fire started as a controlled burn on May 4.
However, Prince Albert National Park Superintendent Rob Britton says by May 6 the fire began to get out of control.
“We had a number of periods of high winds as well throughout that period well above average temperatures and low humidities and that really contributed quite strongly to the spread of the fire,” he says.
Incident Commander Jed Cochrane says the controlled burn was started to restore rare grasslands in the park and the only time to do this type of burn is early spring.
“The time to do this type of a fire where we’re trying to maintain open meadow or open grasslands is before that grassland greens up,” he says. “If that grass greens up, once it’s green, it won’t burn.”
There are currently about 185 people working to suppress the blaze including firefighters from Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
The controlled burn was started in the southwest portion of the park but has been moving north in recent days.
(Photo: Rabbit Creek Fire courtesy of Government of Canada website)