Sask communities brace for wildfire season

The provincial public safety agency says two uncontained fires are still actively threatening communities. Hallee Mandryk on those forced from their homes.

Communities across Saskatchewan are keeping a close eye on two uncontained wildfires threatening several communities.

The RM of Shellbrook remains under an evacuation order, where roughly 130 people across 70 homes have had to leave due to the nearby fire.

“Most of the families that were evacuated from the Shellbrook area are staying with family and friends,” explained Bryan Chartrand, Executive Director of Land Operations for the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.

“If there’s anybody out there that needs accommodations, we are here to help them.”

In a press conference Monday, Premier Scott Moe spoke to the efforts being made to combat the blaze.

“Strategic containment initiatives so that should the wind shift, we are protecting the communities on the eastern flank of this fire, in particular on the north side of the river - that would be Holbien, Crutwell, running right into Prince Albert and on the south side of that river,” Moe said.

The premier says due to some precipitation over the weekend, crews are feeling more optimistic about the impact of the fire.

“We’re in a much more confident position than we have been in over the course of the weekend. There’s been a significant effort both in the north and south side of the river to build up our fire protection on the eastern flank of that fire,” Moe said.

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This blaze impacting the Shellbrook area is called the Lobstick fire - one of two significant uncontained wildfires in the province. The second is the Cayford fire, which has resulted in evacuations in the eastern part of Saskatchewan and into Manitoba.

“We’re not predicting the fire to impact any other communities other than perhaps smoke. So depending on the wind conditions, the smoke might affect surrounding communities but again, we established the line on the north side. So we’ll continue to bolster that and make sure that our line holds so it doesn’t head north towards the 55 highway,” Chartrand said regarding the Cayford fire.

According to Terri Lang, a meteorologist for Environment and climate Change Canada, much of the province is expected to see some precipitation over the next few days, which could offer some reprieve.

“Maybe some thundershowers, which are kind of a mixed blessing, especially in northern Saskatchewan, because we know that lightning can cause wildfires as well,” Lang said.

Lang added the high temperatures this time of year can have a significant impact on fire conditions.

“The higher the temperature, the lower the humidity, the more fires tend to start acting more aggressive. You throw in some wind there and you’ve got yourself a very bad combination,” Lang said.

Lang notes that while a temporary reprieve of some precipitation is expected, those in Saskatchewan should prepare for a hot month as wildfire season settles in.

“The forecast for the month of June, has a better probability across the entire province, that it’s going to be warmer than average. So I think people should buckle up for that and just know what to expect. That it’s coming doesn’t mean every day is going to be record-breaking heat or anything like that. It just means that it’s forecast to be warmer than average.”