Southern Sask. faces dry conditions, fire bans heading into August long weekend

Despite Saskatchewan being spared from the record-breaking wildfire season that many other parts of the country are experiencing, officials are reminding the public not to let their guards down.

As residents prepare to enter the August Long Weekend, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) said people need to be cautious and follow the fire bans issued.

“The behaviour of the citizens of Saskatchewan make a big difference on our wildfire season and the amount of impact we’ll have,” said Steve Roberts, the VP of Operations for the SPSA.

As of Tuesday, there were close to 70 active fire bans across the province, on top of advisories and restrictions.

The RM of Vanscoy is one of 44 rural municipalities to issue a fire ban. It came into effect Aug. 1.

“It’s just far too risky,” said RM Reeve Leonard Junop. “You think you have something under control [then] a whirlwind can come along or whatever, and things can spiral out of control very quickly.”

Junop said typically the RM issues fire bans in the spring and fall, but to have one issued in August is a little early. Dry conditions are driving the decision.

According to the SPSA, much of southern Saskatchewan ranges from high to extreme fire risk with the southwest seeing the brunt of the fire bans.

• Download the CTV News app to get local alerts sent to your device

Seven provincial parks are also under bans. Government officials are asking campers to comply with the orders.

“We’d hate to have a fire get out of control and create damage and create safety hazards. It is for everyone’s best interests and safety that we ask people to comply,” said Jennifer Johnson, the assistant deputy minister responsible for Sask Parks.

“You can go for hikes, you can go for walks together as a family, you can just sit around and read. It stays light really late right now still too, so you don’t need a campfire to keep you entertained. You can still enjoy the outdoors.”

For areas that are not under any fire restrictions, Roberts said it is still a good idea to be proactive. He recommended people keep fires contained, use caution to ensure ATVs don’t spark a fire and avoid fireworks in dry areas.

WILDFIRE UPDATE

People, rather than lightning strikes, have sparked the majority of Saskatchewan’s wildfires this year, according to Roberts.

“Predominantly, human-caused fires start earlier in the year, and in years where we don’t have lightning, they will dominate the numbers for our entire year,” Roberts said.

As of Tuesday, there were 54 active fires burning across Saskatchewan. The province has recorded 370 total wildfires this year, which is far below the record set in 2015 with 720 fires.

The ten-year average is 415 and the five-year average is 312.

So far, 1.2 million hectares of land have burned this year. In 2015, 1.7 million hectares burned. The ten-year average is 442,000 hectares.

Roberts said large fires in the Buffalo Narrows area earlier in the spring contributed to the high number of hectares burned.

“We had a number of large fires that started early in the season, predominantly in the southern part of the forested area, and that’s added to our area burnt and making the number proportionately higher than it would be on average,” he said.

Saskatchewan’s wildfire season typically runs from April to October.