It has been a busy wildfire season in Saskatchewan with 494 fires to date, which is above the five year average of 387. Vice-President of Operations with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency says in his 20 years experience with the SPSA, this has been one of the busiest.

About 1.9 million hectares of land was burned, which Roberts estimates to be about five times the size of Prince Albert National Park. He lists 2,500 flying hours, over 500,000 litres of retardant used, over 16,000 hours of contracted helicopter use and over $7 million spent for hiring and using equipment to protect communities and infrastructure. Forty-three structures burned, but there was no community damage. Robert says the best news, considering the national scope of things, is there were no fatalities due to wildfires in Saskatchewan.

In May, water tankers and crew members came from Quebec to help fight fires and then later, Saskatchewan sent aircraft to Alaska and the Northwest Territories. Roberts notes that nationally and internationally, wildfires are becoming more prominent, so there is growing concern because of the impacts directly and through the spread of smoke.

Fifty-five per cent of this year’s fires were caused by humans, so with the season not yet over, Roberts urges those using the forest to be cautious with things like campfires, smoking, and with the use of ATVs. He encourages all residents with remote properties to make sure they are smart, in preparation for next season.