Prince Albert firefighters responded to more than 2,100 calls in 2025, as the department continues to see its workload climb year over year.
Executive Committee received the Prince Albert Fire Department’s 2025 Year in Review Report on Monday. The report was written by Fire Chief Kris Olsen, but Deputy Fire Chief Alex Paul answered questions from councillors during the meeting.
The report shows the department responded to 2,137 calls for assistance in 2025, up from 1,959 in 2024. Outdoor and wildland fires made up the largest increase, rising to 698 calls from 584 the year before.
“I think it shows that year over year we’re becoming consistently busier,” Paul told committee. “Our call volume is increasing each year.”
The increase came in the same year the department added Engine 13, a $1.3 million custom-built fire truck that replaced a 24-year-old engine and was expected to serve as the first-arriving unit for most emergency calls.
Paul said the increased call volume can also affect the time firefighters have for training and practice because crews are out responding to emergencies.
The numbers come after a year when several fires drew public attention in Prince Albert. The Salvation Army’s Central Avenue building was destroyed by fire on Christmas Day, forcing changes to warming centre and meal services. In August, police laid charges following a series of arsons that included a fire at the 15th Street West 7-Eleven. The Daily Herald also reported last summer on a second fire at a vacant apartment building B in the Carlton Park complex.
Arjun Pillai/Daily Herald
Deputy Fire Chief Alex Paul speaks during Monday’s Executive Committee meeting at City Hall. The Prince Albert Fire Department’s 2025 Year in Review showed crews responded to 2.137 calls last year.
Coun. Dawn Kilmer said the report shows more than 6,400 hours of training, with much of it focused on technical rescue rather than traditional firefighting. Paul said 31 percent of training hours went to suppression, 35 percent to technical rescue, and 10 percent to hazardous materials.
He said Prince Albert firefighters are busy with structure fires, but also need to maintain skills they may not use every day.
“It is important that we put the time into that,” Paul said.
Coun. Blake Edwards asked where responses to encampments would be counted in the report. Paul said those would fall under outdoor or wildland fires, but said he could not say offhand how many of the 698 calls involved encampments.
The local increase came during a severe wildfire year across Saskatchewan. The province later launched an independent review of what the Saskatchewan Public Safety called the “unprecedented wildfire season,” while the federal government described 2025 as the second-worst wildfire season in Canadian history. The Daily Herald also reported last June that Prince Albert firefighters were deployed to the La Ronge area, where crews worked on structure protection, sprinkler systems, water supply, and flare-up prevention.
Coun. Tony Head asked what the department looks for during the inspections. Paul said the inspections focus on life safety including the fire alarm systems, sprinklers, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, exits, panic hardware, and opening windows in rental accommodations.
Mayor Bill Powalinsky asked about wildfire risk and whether fires cross the North Saskatchewan River. Paul said it can, pointing to the Lobstick fire, which crossed the river west of MacDowall and threatened farmland toward Shellbrook.
Paul said Prince Albert is somewhat protected because the south side of the city is not forest land, but said the City still conducts emergency tabletop exercises and is slated to update its emergency plan this year.
Coun. Darren Solomon asked whether lower inspection and violation numbers could be connected to higher call volumes. Paul said he did not think the numbers necessarily correlate, because many of the call increases are outdoor or wildland fires that cannot be inspected in the same way as buildings.
Coun. Bryce Laewetz also asked whether the department tracks arson and accidental fires separately. Paul said it does, but that breakdown was not included in the report. He said vacant and abandoned properties remain a concern because they are boarded and not inspected like occupied buildings.
Executive committee voted to receive and file the report.
