NORTHERN SASK. — As August gives way to September, the wildfire situation in northern Saskatchewan continues to stabilize.
Conditions have improved to the point that the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) cancelled its media availability this week because the threat had diminished so much.
According to its website Friday morning, the SPSA reported 42 active wildfires in Saskatchewan as of 9:30 a.m.
Of those, eight are listed as contained, 30 are under assessment and three are protecting values.
Earlier this week, the Muskeg fire north of La Plonge Reserve and Beauval had been the last remaining blaze not contained, but the SPSA reported it was under control as of Tuesday.
As of Friday morning, however, there is one new fire listed as not contained: the Trail fire, located south of Canoe Narrows.
Overall, the SPSA reported no fires of note in the province this week. The fire ban was lifted some time ago, and there are no active evacuations. All highways remain open.
The SPSA also said that due to “the significant de-escalation of wildfires in the province over the past several weeks,” it will move from daily to weekly wildfire updates after this week, unless conditions change.
While regular updates have ceased, rebuilding efforts continue in areas including Denare Beach, which was devastated by wildfires.
Cumberland MLA Jordan McPhail noted a barbecue event in Denare Beach on Wednesday to thank frontline workers. In a statement, McPhail said he was personally inviting Premier Scott Moe to “finally show his face to the people of Denare Beach. I would be happy to personally arrange a town hall before or after the barbecue so that my constituents get the answers they deserve.”
