Winnipeg firefighters tackle 5 more brush fires

City crewshave been called to battle another batch of grass andbrush fires in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service responded to five such fires on Tuesday, as the citycontinuedto grapplewithdry conditions. Strongwinds areexpected to make matters worse today.

In each of the fires,no structuraldamage, injuries or evacuationswere reported.

The first blaze sprang up Tuesday morning in River Heights, along the area ofWaverleyStreet and Taylor Avenue at 7:54 a.m.

After a reprieve, firefighters were kept busy in the evening withfour separate incidences in asix-hour period. They were calledtoaction in Charleswood after a tree caught fire alongHuddersfield Place shortly before 6 p.m. In under an hour, crews were off to a nearby grass fire aroundLaxdal Road and Grant Avenue.

By 9:45 p.m., agrass fire in the ditch of the city's northern end, along the1300 block of Balgona Road, was reported.

Fire crews were called after 11 p.m.to a blazein the area of Provencher Boulevard and Nadeau Street.

The five fires remainunder investigation.

Cavaliabig top 'very aware' of risk

Over by Sterling Lyon Parkway, the travellingCavaliahorse and acrobatics show Odysseois preparing to open its huge tent to the public thisweekend.Tour director Robert Morgan is watching the weather closely, as their tent is surrounded by dry grass.

"Since I've been here, this is unusual weather for you. Usually there's a lot more rain. We were expecting some rain last weekend and we didn't get that. We're very aware of it.... We monitor the situation at all times."

Morgan says staff practise mock evacuationsand he stays in close contact with emergency services. Thetent is also surrounded by a fire lane for safety reasons.

"We've been in situations where there'stornadoes and fires and weather-related issues... This tent can withstand [a] huge amount of wind, rain and everything else, plus it's completely fire retardant," he said.

The City of Winnipeg reminds residents that open fires are prohibited until further notice due to the conditions. The strong winds forecasttoday will increase the risk of wildland fires, aswindcan carryembers to different locations.

"We would like to remind residents that the temporary open-air fire ban is still in effect, and urge residents not to start open-air fires unless using an outdoor natural gas appliance such as a barbecue," said Tom Wallace, deputy chief withWinnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.

Thus far, city firefighters have responded to 55 grass/brush fires this year. They were called to a total of 85fires in 2017.