In Saskatchewan the number of wildfires burning in province has dropped considerably to 19 and none are considered out of control. The Government of Saskatchewan says it is now prepared to provide firefighting support to the Northwest Territories.
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency deployed an Incident Management Team of five people, two Agency representatives and 40 Type 1 wildland firefighters to support the wildfire efforts in the Northwest Territories on Thursday.
The government says it will also make temporary shelter available if needed for evacuees coming from the Northwest Territories. The group deployed to help with firefighting efforts, departed from Prince Albert Thursday morning, and is expected to be out of the province for approximately two weeks. However, if the need arises, they can be called back to Saskatchewan at any time.
Right now, there are also 16 Saskatchewan wildland firefighters deployed in the Yukon to help local ground crews in their efforts to contain wildfires.
Officials in the Northwest Territories are urging thousands of residents who may still be in Yellowknife to leave by noon before a nearby wildfire could cut off access. Sprinklers, water cannons and fire guards are being set up to protect Yellowknife.
Meanwhile, officials in B-C’s Okanagan region are confirming structural losses as the McDougall Creek wildfire encroaches on West Kelowna. More than 24-hundred properties are under an evacuation order, and 48 hundred more are under an evacuation alert. The wildfire also forced the closure of the main highway, Highway 97, in both directions between West Kelowna on one side of Lake Okanagan and Kelowna on the other side.
The Fraser Valley Regional District issued a local state of emergency Thursday night due to a wildfire burning in the area. It is affecting a region between Hope and Lytton and the RCMP say the Evacuation Order area is near Highway 1 with continued fire activity that could place traffic at risk. Police are urging motorists to avoid the area and to find alternate routes for their own safety.
