Winnipeg, MB – At 4:31 p.m. on Monday, May 1, 2023, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) responded to reports of a grass fire near Waverley Street and the Perimeter Highway.
Due to high winds, the fire spread rapidly, covering an area roughly the size of a football field.
Using specialized equipment, including the WFPS Bison, crews contained and extinguished the fire. No injuries were reported.
It is expected that the number of grass and wildland fires will increase over the coming weeks as the ground dries out. WFPS reminds residents to exercise extreme caution when doing any sort of burning. When wind speeds exceed 25 kilometers per hour, all open-air fires, including those in approved fire pits, are prohibited. Even if a resident has obtained a burning permit, fires are not permitted under these conditions.
Residents should never dispose of smoking materials in any sort of vegetation or from vehicle windows. Butts should also never be put out in planter pots.