Saskatchewan has endured one of its largest and most challenging wildfire seasons in 10 to 20 years, with more than 2 million hectares burned and 486 fires recorded so far, well above the province’s five-year average of 429.
Steve Roberts, vice-president of operations with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), said a lack of spring rains and prolonged high temperatures led to extreme fire behaviour that stretched resources across the province.
“We just saw high temperatures and very, very little precipitation, which led to extreme fire behaviour, large expansions of fire growth, and movement through the night, and that stretched our resources,” Roberts said.
Saskatchewan relied heavily on its network of mutual aid partners to keep up with demand, bringing in Type 1 and Type 2 firefighters, as well as additional aircraft, from across Canada and the United States. Roberts credited those relationships, including new partnerships with Nevada and California, for keeping capacity at or above normal levels despite the strain.
Two fires stood out for their impact: the Wolf Fire, which caused one of the largest community losses in recent history, and the Shoe Fire, which threatened multiple communities and caused significant disruption at East Trout Lake. Human-caused fires like the Ditch Fire also took a toll, cutting off major highways and destroying valuable commercial timber.
Roberts said SPSA saw major improvements in evacuation coordination as the season went on. Communities like Beauval and Pinehouse experienced fewer delays and confusion compared to early-season evacuations. SPSA plans to further integrate the SaskAlert evacuation app and streamline compensation processes for evacuees.
Financially, the wildfire season will hit the province’s bottom line. Roberts noted that while SPSA operates with a base budget, the actual cost of wildfire response varies with the season’s severity and has been flagged in the government’s first-quarter financial report.
Looking ahead, Roberts said prevention is key. SPSA runs a cost-sharing program to thin forests and remove fuel around northern communities, and is working with the federal government on a nine-year risk-reduction plan that includes training the local fire departments and upgrading equipment. The agency is also watching new research closely, including satellite-based early detection systems being developed by the Canadian Forest Service.
“Fires that don’t start cause damage and don’t cause evacuations,” Roberts said. “Communities in riskier areas need to take advantage of programs and training to ensure they are prepared.”
He added that roughly half of Saskatchewan’s wildfires are human-caused and urged residents to keep prevention front-of-mind well into the fall.
“Until the snow falls, we will have fire risk,” Roberts said. “If we don’t have to have any more fires this year, that would be great for the program and great for the citizens.”
