SHARE ON: |
| |
| |
 |
 |
|
|
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) has lifted a fire ban for provincial parks and Crown lands, thanks to scattered rain and cooler temperatures.
The ban, which also included the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District (NSAD), was put in place on July 2 due to hot and dry temperatures blanketing the province.
However, Saskatchewan’s active wildfire count so far this year is over double the five-year average and could be the highest in the last decade, according to SPSA vice-president of operations Steve Roberts.
“A fire ban is not predicated strictly on the number of fires. It has to do with the potential of starting unwanted fires, the issues of having to be able to manage fires and heavily weighted towards current weather conditions,” he said.
Some municipalities, rural municipalities and parks in the south may still have a fire ban in place where conditions are still extremely dry, Roberts said.
As of Monday morning, there are 161 active wildfires in Saskatchewan. So far this year, the province has seen 424 wildfires.
Roberts said this is more than in 2015, when wildfires caused thousands in northern Saskatchewan to evacuate their homes. He said those wildfires were much larger, whereas the current situation is a large number of smaller fires.
Joan Hrycyk, director of emergency and crisis support, said the SPSA is providing services to 84 evacuees due to the Lock fire, impacting Dillon and Michel Village. It’s also providing services to 12 evacuees from Whelan Bay due to the White fire; however, that evacuation order has now been lifted and they can start returning home.
Maurice Ratt is the emergency response coordinator for the Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB).
“So far, the wildfire situation has improved quite a bit. We had significant rainfall in the area, so we were able to start containing the majority of the fires and crews have been making good progress,” he said.
The community of Grandmother’s Bay voluntarily evacuated as a wildfire crept in only a kilometre away, but evacuees are heading home on Monday. Stanley Mission also had a fire about five kilometres away.
None of these wildfires are a threat to the communities anymore, Ratt said.
He encouraged band members to keep an eye on the LLRIB Emergency Response Facebook page.
“With any wildfire, it can change rapidly and we’re expecting some more warm weather this week, so we might see some heavy smoke again, some flare-ups.”
The SPSA has brought in local firefighters from across the province to help manage the wildfires, but none from outside of Saskatchewan.
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
10 am |
| 17 ℃ |
| SCATTERED CLOUDS |
WIND: SSE 27 KM/H
GUSTING TO 36 KM/H |
|
|
 |
11 am |
| 17 ℃ |
| SCATTERED CLOUDS |
WIND: S 28 KM/H
GUSTING TO 37 KM/H |
|
|
 |
12 pm |
| 17 ℃ |
| SCATTERED CLOUDS |
WIND: S 25 KM/H
GUSTING TO 33 KM/H |
|
|
 |
1 pm |
| 18 ℃ |
| BROKEN CLOUDS |
WIND: S 24 KM/H
GUSTING TO 29 KM/H |
|
 |
 |
2 pm |
| 18 ℃ |
| BROKEN CLOUDS |
WIND: S 23 KM/H
GUSTING TO 27 KM/H |
|
|
 |
3 pm |
| 18 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
WIND: SSW 22 KM/H
GUSTING TO 26 KM/H |
|
|
 |
4 pm |
| 18 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
WIND: SW 22 KM/H
GUSTING TO 26 KM/H |
|
|
 |
5 pm |
| 18 ℃ |
| OVERCAST CLOUDS |
WIND: SSW 21 KM/H
GUSTING TO 24 KM/H |
|
 |
 |
 |
TODAY |
HIGH OF 19 ℃
LOW OF 10 ℃ |
| LIGHT RAIN |
|
|
 |
WEDNESDAY |
HIGH OF 16 ℃
LOW OF 11 ℃ |
| LIGHT RAIN |
|
|
 |
THURSDAY |
HIGH OF 18 ℃
LOW OF 9 ℃ |
| BROKEN CLOUDS |
|
|
 |
FRIDAY |
HIGH OF 25 ℃
LOW OF 10 ℃ |
| CLEAR SKY |
|
 |
 |
SATURDAY |
HIGH OF 32 ℃
LOW OF 15 ℃ |
| MODERATE RAIN |
|
|
 |
SUNDAY |
HIGH OF 27 ℃
LOW OF 17 ℃ |
| MODERATE RAIN |
|
|
 |
MONDAY |
HIGH OF 25 ℃
LOW OF 17 ℃ |
| MODERATE RAIN |
|
|
 |
TUESDAY |
HIGH OF 30 ℃
LOW OF 14 ℃ |
| SCATTERED CLOUDS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
SCORPIONS ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE 10:55 AM |
 |
 |
SELF DECEPTION MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY 10:52 AM |
 |
 |
ANDREW BARRY COMMAND 10:48 AM |
 |
 |
LOST IN HOLLYWOOD THE FIRE 10:41 AM |
 |
 |
GLASGOW KISS DOWN IN FLAMES 10:37 AM |
 |
 |
FALSELOVE CHEMICALS 10:33 AM |
 |
 |
JOURNEY EYE OF THE TIGER 10:29 AM |
 |
 |
THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS SLIPPING THROUGH 10:25 AM |
 |
 |
SEVER RED DESPERATION 10:21 AM |
 |
 |
SKILLET ALL THAT MATTERS 10:18 AM |
 |
 |