Saskatchewan’s Premier Scott Moe laid out a devastating outlook on Saturday as fires rage across the province, especially in the northern region.
Moe said residents and firefighters are facing an extremely challenging situation, and every resident needs to do their part to ensure they are not contributing to or starting any new fires.
“We’re in a situation where we just can’t have another fire in northern Saskatchewan,” he said.
Moe said everyone needs to be careful in the next four to seven days, which are critical while awaiting a possible change in weather patterns.
“In the north, we are facing an extremely dry situation,” Moe said. “We haven’t had those spring rainfalls, which we normally have, and I would say, first and foremost, these are incredibly stressful, challenging times for those that are living in the north.”
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Moe said more evacuations could happen in the coming days “if we don’t see rain in the near future.”
There are currently 16 active fires in the province with seven considered not contained.
The largest in the province, the Shoe fire, is an estimated 305,343 hectares in size and burning in the area of Lower Fishing Lake.
Saskatchewan’s Public Safety Agency said the fire had prompted evacuations in Fishing Lake, Piprell Lake, East Trout Lake, Little Bear Lake and Whiteswan/Whelan Bay.
The agency said valuables have been lost in the massive fire.
In addition, due to the blaze, there are temporary intermittent closures of HWY JCT 913 and 106, JCT 120 and 106, JCT 912 and 913, JCT 165 and 106 by Big Sandy, JCT 120 and 913.
It has also forced the closure of Narrow Hills Provincial Park.
East Trout-Nipekamew Lakes Recreation Site is closed.
As of Saturday afternoon, there were 220 provincial wildland firefighters on the ground, Moe said.
There were also 13 additional municipal fire departments stationed in communities helping to defend the fire lines and 66 contractors with heavy equipment on the front fire lines.
Twelve Saskatchewan aircraft have been deployed to fight the blazes along with 20 to 30 helicopters, Moe added.
In addition, there were 410 type 2 northern community and Indigenous firefighters on the front lines.
Additional aircraft resources from Alaska, Quebec and British Columbia are also helping fight the fires.
Moe confirmed there have been no fatalities in the province due to the fires.
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