The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) and Premier Scott Moe said that the province is in a much stronger position Friday in its fight against wildfires than in recent days. Many evacuees have been repatriated back to their communities or are in the process, and fire growth has been minimal thanks to recent rainfall, allowing crews to aggressively fight back flames. “Much of that is due to the effort and the work of our firefighters on the ground, whether they be wildland firefighters or whether they be local and municipal firefighters and volunteers from across the province,” Moe said, thanking crews for their hard work. Moe added that work has also been done by SaskTel and SaskPower to restore communication and power services to many communities threatened by the recent fires. He also acknowledged that despite a positive past couple of days, much more will need to be done, including supporting those that have lost homes and values. “The work doesn’t end with people returning to their homes. The work will go on for weeks and literally go on for months as we see far too many homes that have been lost,” Moe said. Families that have lost homes will see the province working with them closely to provide support, Moe added. That includes work to distribute $500 to all evacuees 18 years and older. “We’re working on all of those fronts so that we don’t leave anyone out, but also that we don’t slow down the effort to get this into family’s hands as soon as possible,” Moe said. According to Moe, more than half of some 15,000 total evacuees have returned to their communities. The SPSA said that approximately 10,300 people have returned or will be shortly, with many who self-evacuated also doing the same. However, approximately 400 values have been damaged, according to the SPSA, with efforts continuing to determine exactly what was impacted The SPSA said on Friday afternoon that 19 wildfires remain burning in Saskatchewan. Five are still considered not contained. SPSA president Marlo Pritchard said that five communities are also still under a mandatory evacuation. “Those are Creighton, Denare Beach, East Trout Lake, Whelan Bay, as well as the P1 and P2s in Cumberland House,” Pritchard said. Pritchard said they also recognize that some people returning to their communities will face both difficult and unique challenges and encouraged people to use the province’s website to access mental health supports. A backlog of people calling the province for help has also been addressed, with Pritchard saying evacuees that call the province for assistance will now be taken care of immediately or within a day. Regarding 30 wildfires the province has determined were intentionally set, Pritchard said work continues to gather evidence that can be supplied to police. “We ask for public assistance if they know anything of any of those intentional acts that were conducted. If you know anything, please call Crime Stoppers or your local police jurisdiction.” So far, RCMP have laid two arson charges in connection with the Ditch02 fire near Weyakwin that forced multiple evacuations. Pritchard and Government Relations Minister Eric Schmalz also said that the ATV and UTV ban will be lifted at 5 p.m. on Friday, but the current provincial fire ban will remain in effect. Looking ahead, Pritchard also said Friday’s weather forecast is positive, with cloudy and cooler temperatures expected along with the possibility of more rainfall.
