Blazing bunny turns controlled burn into wildfire

By Bryan Eneas, for paNow

Even when firefighters are in control, sometimes they aren’t prepared for the unpredictable.

A rabbit turned a controlled burn into a wildfire Monday on the Beardy’s and Okemasis Cree Nation (BOCN) according to Councillor Kevin Seesequasis.

“Unfortunately, after a controlled burn was conducted and thought-to-be extinguished, a rabbit on fire… lit another adjacent section of bush and caught fire,” Seesequasis’ media statement read.

The blaze forced the evacuation of the Constable Robin Cameron Education Complex and the Chief Beardy Memorial Elementary School. No injuries were reported in the incident according to the BOCN Chief and Council’s social media pages.

Seesequasis said emergency management staff and educators worked in conjunction to ensure students were evacuated safely and successfully.

The incident also marked the start of Emergency Preparedness Week.

“This was certainly a good start to our week, and test our skills,” Seesequasis said. “As with all things, there are undoubtedly lessons to be learned.”

The councillor said he would be calling a meeting to identify what can be learned from the situation, and how those lessons can be taught in the community.

Seesequasis’ statement also noted the community is under a fire ban; only firefighters can conduct controlled burns. He also noted fire guards are being set-up around the schools and additional controlled-burns would be conducted in the same area to prevent future fires.