'We are eternally grateful': Volunteers stop massive Sask. prairie fire

Saskatchewan rancher Corinne Gibson and her family are still assessing the damage after a massive wildfire consumed much of their pastureland this week.

The fire, located south of Glentworth, Sask., burned at least 3,000 acres, or more than 12 square kilometres, of land. On Monday, volunteer fire crews, two water bombers and road grading equipment battled the flames for hours.

"In rural Saskatchewan, we don't have a lot of people, but we have a lot of heart," Gibson said. "Just seeing the people from other towns really risking their own lives to get in there to try and save stuff for people they don't even know that well was amazing."

They gave us a fighting chance.- CorinneGibson

The fire started after a local farmer was combining on his land, and quickly spread through the dry grass.

As soon as it reached her land, Gibson's daughter and two workers ran out and started cutting fences so their 300 head of cattle could escape the flames.

"We're still trying to find those cattle, because they went every which way," she said. "As far as we know, we haven't lost any."

Gibson said firefighting efforts were intense. Water bombers roared over the heads of volunteer fire crews as road graders plowed furrows ahead of the fire, trying to starve it of fuel.

"They gave us a fighting chance," she said.

Water bombers/grass fire near Glentworth, Sask.

7 years ago

Duration 0:20

UGC footage of Water bombers attending to a grass fire near Glentworth, Sask. Credit: April WIlliamson/Facebook

Very dry

Extremely dry conditions and high winds whipped up the flames and made it very difficult to fight. Gibson said the area hasn't received significant rainfall all season long.

"A lot of the old-timers out at the fire have never seen it this dry," she said. "In our area, we have never suffered a drought like this."

As Gibson assesses the damage, she admits she doesn't know what the future will hold. Much of her pasture burned in the fire, leaving her cattle herd with few options heading into the winter.

"We have no idea," she said. "That was our best pastureland, and that's where we put most of the cows."

For now, Gibson's herd is staying with neighbours as the family charts its next move.

"Our neighbours actually moved their cattle to different pastures to allow us to have a pasture to at least gather our cows," she said. "It's been so heartwarming. We are eternally grateful."

Glentworth is located approximately 190 kilometres southwest of Regina.