SPSA vice-president stepping down following wildfire review

An independent review found that Saskatchewan was not fully prepared for last year's historic wildfire season. Laura Woodward reports.

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) says its vice-president of operations will retire at the end of the month, as the province moves to address shortcomings revealed in a recent wildfire review.

In a statement to CTV News, the SPSA said in a mutual agreement, Steve Roberts will advance his retirement date to June 30, 2026, after more than 20 years of service.

“The Agency would like to thank Steve Roberts for his 20+ years of contributions and service to the Province of Saskatchewan,” the statement read.

The agency says it will immediately begin searching for a replacement with the new hire expected to help carry out 11 priority actions ordered by the provincial government following an independent review of the 2025 wildfire season.

That review, conducted by consulting firm MNP, found Saskatchewan’s emergency management system fell short during the worst wildfire season on record.

A total of 514 fires burned roughly 2.9 million hectares last year, forcing more than 10,000 people from their homes.

The report said the SPSA was not fully prepared for the scale and complexity of the fires and found key parts of the response were not effectively executed.

“After reading this 107-page review, it is clear: the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) must do better,” Michael Weger, minister responsible for the SPSA told reporters when the report was released June 12.

“Lives were disrupted and livelihoods were impacted. It left extensive destruction to a number of our communities. Hunting grounds and trap lines were impacted, and timber was lost,” he said.

The report pointed to gaps in preparedness, coordination and long-term planning, as well as confusion over roles and responsibilities within the agency.

Following the release of the report, some residents of Denare Beach, which experienced one of the most destructive wildfires in Saskatchewan during the 2025 season, called for the leaders at the centre of the province’s wildfire response to resign.

Dustin Trumbley, who lost his Denare Beach home during last year’s wildfire season, called for Marlo Pritchard, SPSA president and fire commissioner, and Steve Roberts to step down.

“As far as I’m concerned, there was such a break in management and communication. Some people will never be ... their life has changed forever,” Trumbley said.

Premier Scott Moe echoed those concerns days later, saying the province and the SPSA both need to improve.

“We need to do better as a Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, and we need to do better as a government, supporting the work that they do,” Moe said.

The review also found recovery efforts after the fires were inconsistent and lacked coordination and that the province did not have a clear, pre-existing recovery strategy.

Among the 11 recommendations are stronger communication between agencies, improved wildfire forecasting, and better planning for evacuations.

The government has said it accepts the findings and is moving to implement the recommendations ahead of the next wildfire season.

As of June 20, there were 12 active wildfires in Saskatchewan, with five considered contained, while 125 fires have been recorded so far this year compared to 270 at the same time last year.

With files from Rory MacLean and Laura Woodward.