Fire risk low in Sask. so far this summer
As the province sends crews and resources to the large wildfire burning in British Columbia, Saskatchewan’s own risk of wildfire remains low — even in the midst of a heat wave.
Southern areas of the province are rated as “extreme” under the provincial fire weather index thanks to hot conditions drying out vegetation within the grasslands. But the risk hasn’t increased to the point of implementing a provincial fire ban.
“Over the last few weeks or days, we have experienced some extreme weather here as well,” said emergency management and fire safety commissioner Duane McKay. “That has raised the threat of fire in the rural areas in the southern parts of the province. However, we haven’t seen significant growth in the number of calls over what we would consider normal this time of year.”
McKay says they have taken steps to prepare in case anything ignites, with the deployment of fire caches throughout southern areas of the province. These caches consist of all-terrain vehicles, radio equipment, protective gear, pumps, hoses and other tools, and have been made available to local fire crews to support any major firefighting effort. They are especially important if the blaze continues for a long time or crosses jurisdictional boundaries, McKay said.
The number of fires so far this year is lower than average in both the southern and northern areas of the province with only 110 fires since the beginning of 2017 — well below the five-year average of 308.
“That isn’t to say that can’t change over the next number of weeks if this weather continues and we don’t see moisture,” McKay cautioned.
Most of northern Saskatchewan is seeing a low to moderate risk of fire. Steve Roberts, executive director of Saskatchewan’s wildfire management program, said this lower risk is thanks to wet, rainy conditions in both the fall and spring.
Although the risk remains low, Premier Brad Wall said the government would be able to call back the resources from B.C. if a blaze begins back home.