REGINA - Wildfires continue to ravage Saskatchewan, according to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency May 15 media briefing.
Peter Boniface, SPSA executive director of aviation operations, commented to the media that the SPSA expects to see the 35 active wildfires in the province continue to wreak havoc as hot, dry conditions continue through the week.
“We’re asking the public to please take extreme caution,” Boniface said, noting that in 2023, Saskatchewan has already faced 161 wildfires, more than double the five-year average of 77.
Smoke continues to blanket large swathes of northern and central Saskatchewan and may cause poor air quality and reduced visibility. Of the 35 active wildfires in the province, 13 are contained, 13 are an ongoing assessment, and eight are not contained.
There are also currently travel advisories in effect for several areas, with individuals asked to avoid the area near the Montreal River, north of Highway 2 and Junction 165, due to a wildfire four kilometres north.
The SPSA is also asking paddlers to refrain from using this section of the Montreal River as it would pull personnel and resources from the wildfire responders if they needed rescue.
“There are numerous wildfires across the southern part of the province, with many fire departments fighting these fires ... we urge everyone across the province to be diligent in preventing fires and protecting communities,” Boniface said.
Over 100 fire-fighting personnel are working to keep fires at bay, and over 100 people in and around the community of Dillan have been evacuated. The fires south of Dillan have consumed over 50,000 hectares.
“...with the El Nino in effect, conditions are a lot hotter and drier, and we just don't have the water table that we normally have," Bryan Chartrand, the executive director of land operations, said.
"With our forecasted weather, they (the wildfires) are expected to continue to grow ... this is the beginning of summer, so there will probably be more coming, so we're not out of the woods yet."
