Amid forest fire season in Saskatchewan, a love story burns

Sunday, May 10, 2015, 8:04 PM - An apartment fire was not part of Greg Blanks proposal plans.

Instead of waiting to go to dinner, it was now or never. The ring he purchased was trapped in his girlfriend's burning apartment building in Regina, Saskatchewan. The blaze broke out Sunday morning.

While trying to keep the ring a secret, plans quickly changed when firefighters started asking him about personal belongings.

"They asked me where my passport and stuff was and I told them I had an engagement ring there too," Blanks told CBC.

Firefighters managed to retrieve the ring from the building.

"I was surprised when I found out there was a ring in the burning house," said Blanks's fiance Brittany May Petrisor. "I kind of cried."

It was also Petrisor's birthday on Sunday and she told reporters she experienced a roller coaster of emotions.

"We're glad we were able to get in there and secure the passport and diamond ring," Gerard Kay, Regina Fire's deputy chief told CBC.

A pet corn snake was also removed from the building, Kay said.

No injuries were reported and all occupants-including three children-made it out safely.

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

Wildfires continue to burn in the province of Saskatchewan. Seven were reported on Sunday in areas including: Prince Albert, Buffalo Narrows and La Ronge. Four of them have been contained and three are under ongoing assessment.

Blanks, originally from Minnesota, met his fiance online through a shared interest in video games. The couple have been together for about a year.

Source:  CBC