SASKATCHEWAN (CBC) - A roaring fire that threatened the village of Belle Plaine on Sunday may have started with someone burning items in a firepit, officials say.

A collection of abandoned farm buildings caught fire within the town limits. Explosions were heard as paint cans and other items in the buildings exploded.

Belle Plaine Mayor Donald Firomski was among those watching the blaze.

"What I'm seeing right now is a big bunch of old granaries, and barns and things catching on fire, black smoke ... We've had some instances of some propane bottles exploding out here," he said.

It's believed the source of the fire was a firepit some distance away from the farm property.

"They were doing some small burning in a hole, and the wind must have picked it up and taken it to adjacent buildings and caught them on fire," Firomski said.

Moose Jaw fire department officials battled the blaze for a hours as wind spread the flames. An estimate of the damages wasn't available.

Belle Plaine, a village of about 65 people, is about 21 kilometres east of Moose Jaw.

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