Smoke from a fire four miles east of the Village of La Broquerie could be seen from Steinbach this afternoon.

The call came in shortly after 3 p.m. and the fire was seen in the area of Road 36N and 45E. La Broquerie fire captain Miguel Dube says the land is in the RM of Ste. Anne, but falls into the La Broquerie fire department's area of coverage.

"Looks like the farmer decided he was going to burn a strip of bush that he's cleared here," explains Dube. "The RM of Ste. Anne lifted their fire ban Wednesday, I believe. Looks like a passerby saw a lot of smoke and decided to call [911]."

Dube says many people still remember the fires from a few years ago, which were out of control, and want to be cautious when large amounts of smoke are seen.

He notes the fire department sprayed water to keep the edge of the field under control and cautions farmers to only burn when legal, when the wind is low, and when it won't hinder the visibility of traffic in the area.