Yesterday and today's forecast came at a good time, as dry conditions were favoring an increased chance of more grass fires.

The City of Swift Current has experienced two grass fires this year, April 2nd and this past Monday, with the first of the two proving to be much more significant in size.

However, despite the rain, the risk of grass fires still exists due to an extremely arid spring in 2017.

"The conditions out there are extremely dry and I know the hills and fields look green, but there's still a lot of dry grass underneath that," said Denis Pilon, Chief of the Swift Current Fire Department. "Even the green grass will burn when it's this dry - we really do need some more rain."

The City of Swift Current has experienced two grass fires this year, April 2nd and this past Monday, with the first of the two proving to be much more significant in size.

The dry start to 2017 has seen approximately 50 millimetres of precipitation in the Swift Current area before yesterday's rain started.

With the dry conditions, along with the lighting of campfires during the summer months, Swift Current's Fire Chief shares how to best attend to the campfires to ensure no unintentional fires are lit.

"In Swift Current, we have a bylaw requiring control of any open-pit fires in your backyard - you have to have a permit to have that. When you're burning it, you should have a hose or some means of extinguishing it available," Pilon said. "But if you're burning it at the cabin or the campsite, don't leave the fire unattended. When you're done for the evening, make sure you put the fire out and put some water on it - dampen it down and make sure it is out."

He also advises against throwing cigarette butts or other smoking materials out of vehicles, especially during this dry stretch.