Residents forced from their houses in west-central Saskatchewan because of a wind-driven grass fire are now allowed to return to home.

Evacuation orders for the areas of Leader and Burstall, as well as the Rural Municipality of Deer Forks, were lifted Wednesday morning following a grass fire Tuesday afternoon and evening.

The fire, magnified by wind gusts measured at speeds over 100 kilometres per hour, forced about 1,200 people from their homes in Saskatchewan.

A volunteer firefighter from Cypress County, Alta. died after the water-tanker truck he was driving rolled over on a grid road 10 kilometres south of Burstall around midnight Tuesday.

Cypress County officials have identified the fallen firefighter as 34-year-old James Hargrave.

Two men, ages 27 and 43, suffered serious injuries while fighting a fire on their own land in the Gull Lake and Tompkins area Tuesday night.

Both men were taken to Medicine Hat for medical care before being transferred to Calgary. RCMP say they are not in a position to provide an update on the conditions of the two men.

Ray Unrau, the province’s operations director for emergency management and fire safety, said Wednesday the fire destroyed a home near Tompkins and left another residence, a rural home near Burstall, damaged. A barn and shed near Tompkins were also lost, and three farms in the province’s Richmound area were also impacted by the blaze.

Around 200 evacuees found shelter in Kindersley. The town’s mayor, Rod Perkins, said his emergency staff responded successfully to the wildfire evacuation.

"We could've been in a situation where we would've had 500 to 700 evacuees to deal with," Perkins said. "I'm really impressed with our emergency measures group. Our town staff were coordinated and ready for anything."

Highways 321 and 21, which were impacted by the fire, were reopened Wednesday morning, and a recommendation to not travel on a portion of Highway 1 near Rush Lake was lifted, according to the province.

The government said Burstall School, Leader Composite School and Haven Colony School will be closed on Wednesday and until further notice. Classes are also cancelled for the day at Fox Valley School.

SaskPower spokesperson Jordan Jackle said, because of the damaging winds, crews were working to restore power to hundreds of customers across several areas Wednesday.

Wind gusts reached speeds of over 100 km/h in many parts of the province, with Saskatoon reaching 113 km/h, Regina reaching 119 km/h, Swift Current clocking in at 124 km/h, and Moose Jaw reaching 131 km/h.