A Recovery Task Team assessment has identified debris removal and site clean-up as the top priorities for communities impacted by wildfires last month.

The provincial government is committing $20-million to assist communities begin the recovery process. Nearly 300 primary residences were destroyed, with the largest number in Denare Beach. There were also substantial losses in the East Trout Lake region.

Tim McLeod is Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety.

The Recovery Task Team is led by the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency and comprised of representatives from the Ministries of Government Relations, Social Services, Environment and Crown Corporations.

Most of the money will be delivered through the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program. It will go towards losses sustained during the provincial emergency declaration period of May 29th to June 26th.

There are 67 active wildfires burning—most of them started by lightning strikes on the western side of the province. At this point, there are no plans for a second emergency declaration, but the situation is being closely monitored according to Marlo Pritchard, the president of the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.

Highway 918 is closed to most traffic, except for vehicles bringing supplies to the 700 people living on the English River First Nation and in Patuanak. There is no immediate danger to either community and there are no evacuation plans currently.

One hundred firefighters from Quebec have arrived to assist provincial crews. Pritchard says cooler temperatures over the weekend helped firefighters, but a couple of days of 30-degree temperatures this week will worsen conditions.