Lightning strike blamed for wildfire that threatened new discovery centre at Oak Hammock Marsh
"Had the wind been in a different direction, it might have been a different story this morning, so there was a close call," said Jacques Bourgeois, spokesperson for the marsh's Wetland Discovery Centre, just north of Winnipeg near Stonewall.
He started getting calls around 8:15 p.m. Sunday from birdwatchers who noticed dark smoke rising up.
"They thought there was actually a fire at the centre; being under construction and all, they thought maybe it was a construction error or something," Bourgeois said.
Fire trucks were sent out and extinguished what turned out to be a grass fire that crept within 200-300 metres of the discovery centre, which has been under construction for 19 months and is set to open May 24.
"So a little close for comfort," Bourgeois said.
The marsh, a 36-square-kilometre wetland and wildlife attraction, is a remnant of a former 470-square-kilometre area that extended from the edge of Winnipeg north to Teulon.
Measures to restore the remnant began in the late 1960s, and the first interpretive centre opened in 1993. The new one replaces that.
As part of the renovations, a large new pumphouse was built for fire prevention, which allowed firefighters on Sunday night to refill their supply on site, rather than going elsewhere and returning.
"The timing was great," said Bourgeois, who believes the fire was ignited by a lightning strike after storms rolled through the area.
While it's wetland, there are extremely dry grasses and cattails, he said.
"We haven't had lots of rain for a while now."
Bourgeois estimates the total burned section as a quarter of an acre "at least."
"It's a fairly large area," he said.
Grasses are charred around some of the self-guided walking trails, but the paths are still usable, said Bourgeois, who stood on the rooftop of the new building for a better vantage point.
From there he could still see some smoke rising in the distance.
"It seems like those hot spots are somewhere in the middle of the marsh, so they're pretty inaccessible [to go and extinguish them]," he said.
"I guess we will just let them burn up on their own. I think we don't have to worry too much about it right now."
Fire has always played an integral part in natural management on the prairies, helping rejuvenate the grasses and prevent non-native species from taking over, Bourgeois said.
Even now, the discovery centre has controlled burns on a regular basis to prevent buildup of debris that could fuel larger blazes.
Fires in Winnipeg
The dry conditions also contributed to grassland fires within the city of Winnipeg.
On Monday morning, crews were called to put out flames at Whittier Park (St. Joseph Street), a field off McPhillips Street, just north of Murray Avenue, and off Logan Avenue near the McPhillips Athletic Grounds.
All three fires were quickly contained and extinguished, the city said in a news release.
The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service last week issued a fire ban for the city, due to the dry conditions and a stretch of hot, windy conditions. Temperatures in the 30s are forecast for Monday through Wednesday before rain and cooler weather arrives to close out the week.
The ban is in effect until 6 p.m. May 19, and anyone breaking it could get a $500 fine.
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