A firefighter with the Melfort Fire Department puts out some hot spots during a wildfire on Thursday night. (Melfort Fire & Rescue/Facebook)

By Cam Lee

Wildfire update

Wildfires keep crews busy in Northeast, some highways closed as local fire bans continue to grow

May 9, 2025 | 10:26 AM

Two more local fires kept crews in Melfort and Kinistino busy on Thursday.

The Melfort Fire Department responded to a bush fire north of the city just after 10 p.m. Thursday. The crew had just returned home from their weekly training when the call came in.

A large pile of burning brush was found when they arrived, and thankfully, they were able to use a nearby creek to help put out the fire, rather than having to shuttle water back and forth.

The call was the 13th of the week for the Melfort Fire Department.

Meanwhile, the Kinistino Fire Department was called to a structure and yard fire in the RM of Kinistino late Thursday afternoon.

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(Kinistino Fire Department/Facebook)

The abandoned house was fully engulfed in flames when fire crews arrived.

They quickly put out the fire as the dangerous wind threatened to have the blaze spread to nearby acreages.

Crews then put out some hot spots and were at the scene for nearly five hours.

Highways in Narrow Hills Provincial Park closed due to fires, local fire ban numbers grow

Tinder-dry conditions and extreme fire risk continue to plague the province, and local areas are no exception.

Some highways in Narrow Hills Provincial Park, north of Choiceland, have been closed due to wildfires in the area.

That includes Highway 913, which is closed at the junction of Highway 106. The Highway Hotline said it is due to a wildfire and smoke in the area.

Also closed for the same reason is Highway 130 at the junction of Highway 106, also known as Hanson Lake Road.

North of there, the Rainbow Lodge was evacuated of owners and guests as fires loomed.

The Lodge is west of the Narrow Hills park and close to Hwy. 913.

Additionally, two more local municipalities have declared fire bans due to the conditions. The Town of Nipawin issued a fire ban within town limits on Friday, along with the Rural Municipality (R.M.) of Ponass Lake No. 367, in the Rose Valley area, thanks to the extreme fire hazard.

No open-air fires, fire pits, or fireworks are permitted.

This comes after the province issued a ban on fires from the start of the forest belt to the Churchill River on Thursday.

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Cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com