Saint Andrews-area fire now considered ‘contained’

A forest fire that has been burning for days near Saint Andrews is no longer considered out of control.

The latest update from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) shows the Stein Lake fire is now contained.

It follows days of hard work by firefighters and much-needed rain that moved into the area on Saturday.

Even more rain is expected over the coming days, which should help crews bring the fire under control.

“More work needs to be done, we need to continue to be alert, but we certainly have much to be grateful for,” Saint Andrews Mayor Brad Henderson said in a Facebook post on Saturday night.

As of Sunday morning, DNR said there were 15 firefighters on the scene continuing to put out hotspots.

The blaze broke out a week ago after an ATV fire became a fast-moving forest fire. It has burned an estimated 540 hectares of land.

Between 250 and 400 homes were evacuated and one home was destroyed. Evacuated residents were allowed to return home on Tuesday afternoon.

As of Sunday morning, there were 10 active fires throughout the province, including the Stein Lake fire.

With the exception of the Saint Andrews-area fire, all of them were listed as ‘being patrolled.”

Meanwhile, a provincewide burn ban that had been in place for several days was lifted as of 2 p.m. Sunday.

Officials said the entire province had received enough rainfall, allowing them to lift the burning restrictions.