Hot, dry, windy conditions prompt fire bans across Saskatchewan
Hot, dry, windy conditions have prompted fire bans in large sections of Saskatchewan.
On Monday afternoon, the City of Prince Albert declared a fire ban for all areas north of the North Saskatchewan River within city limits. That means no open fires are permitted.
There are also fire bans in dozens of rural municipalities in west-central Saskatchewan: from Meadow Lake stretching down to Saskatoon, as well as parts of eastern Saskatchewan, east of Humboldt.
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The province's wildfire risk map shows "extreme" or "high risk" of wildfires in most of central and west-central Saskatchewan, as well as the southeast corner of the province.
Fire crews from James Smith Cree Nation, Melfort, Garden River, Muskoday and Kinistino, along with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency personnel, responded to the wildfire at James Smith Cree Nation on Saturday. (Kinistino Fire Department/Facebook)
More than a dozen wildfires were listed as currently active in the province on Monday afternoon, although most of them have been contained.
Already this year, there have been 106 fires — roughly twice the five-year average as of this time of year.
3 homes lost on James Smith
Residents on James Smith Cree Nation are dealing with the aftermath of a wildfire that encroached on the community during the weekend.
Three homes were destroyed and dozens of people had to evacuate the community on Saturday before the fire was contained. The First Nation is about 140 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.
The fire was human caused, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) reports.
In a message to his community, James Smith Cree Nation Chief Kirby Constant said the hot, dry and windy weather conditions make it "dangerously easy" for fires to start and spread.
"These past two days have been difficult — we've seen homes lost, families displaced, and many shaken by what's happened," he wrote. "But we've also seen the heart of our community shine through — neighbours helping neighbours, volunteers stepping up, and the strength of our Nation pulling together."
The fire weather index issued by the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency for Monday shows high (yellow) and extreme (red) risk through much of central and west-central Saskatchewan, as well as the southeast. (Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency)
The youth hall in the community was opened as a space for people to gather, and mental health workers are available.
Firefighters from many nearby communities — including Kinistino, Melfort, the RM of Garden River and Muskoday First Nation — responded to the fire Saturday, along with the SPSA's emergency response team.
The Kinistino Fire Department sent 12 members with five units when they got the call on Saturday afternoon, fire Chief Brennen Smith said. They were initially tasked with protecting property at both the south and north ends of the fire, and stayed on scene until just after midnight.
Then when they were back in the community on Sunday to respond to an unrelated house fire, they also responded to a flare up on the wildfire.
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Smith said the wind and dry, hot conditions make for "unpredictable" fire conditions that can be very dangerous for crews.
"I'm hoping that we can get some moisture on the ground. We haven't had any since the snow left, so we're just thankful that everywhere around us right now is covered by a fire ban," he said.
"We're just reminding everybody to make sure that they follow those orders and that we don't have any more of these incidents happen."
Troy Bear, chief of the Muskody Volunteer Fire Department, noted how important the partnerships among the fire departments in the region has been — for the James Smith fire and others.
When asked how this year compares to other years so far, Bear said there seems to be a "new norm." When he joined the fire department in 1989, a lot of the fires happened in the fall.
"Now with things that are happening in climate change, we're seeing a lot drier springs and lack of moisture," Bear said. "So it kind of turns the season as to when we start fighting these fires and they seem to be a lot more aggressive."
This article, written by Hannah Spray, was originally published for CBC News
The thumbnail was taken from the Muskoday Volunteer Fire Department on Facebook