Fire Sweeps Through Reserve Land

Fire Sweeps Through Reserve Land

Monday, October 06, 2008 at 13:43

 

 

Farmers are coming to collect their cattle from the Mosquito First Nation today after a fire ripped through the reserve Friday and Saturday.

 

Band administrator Derrick Graham says the fire burnt between 5,000 and 10,000 acres.

 

According to Graham, most of that was pasture land leased to farmers.

 

No homes were affected, and no one was injured.

 

But the fire did come within about 100 feet of four houses.

 

The blaze started at about noon on Friday and wasn’t put out until about 2 p.m. Saturday.

 

Graham says the fire started in a garbage dump and was spread by high winds.

 

About 40 people fought the fire, using earthmoving equipment to build fire breaks.