There's some good news to report regarding the forest fires in the Badger area, southeast of Woodridge. Piney Reeve Duane Boutang says they did not get the big winds that hit Steinbach Monday night, but adds they also did not get any rain.

He notes there has been no loss of private property so far. "We haven't lost a building, absolutely no losses whatsoever. They've done a very good job, they've put fire protection systems on virtully every building around the perimeter of Badger, they've done an excellent job that way. Things are looking, in that respect, better but, if you get high gusts, it's hard to fight it."

Boutang says, again today, everything will depend on the wind. He explains a north wind may cause problems because it could blow the fire into new areas which is something they don't want to see happen.

The Badger fire has consumed about 50 square kilometres of forest.