Rain and cooler weather helped improve Saskatchewan’s wildfire situation this week, with the Lobstick fire now contained, evacuees returning home from Red Earth Cree Nation and Shoal Lake Cree Nation, and the provincial fire ban lifted.
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency said during a Thursday media availability that the provincial fire ban, including ATV and UTV restrictions, was lifted as of 11 a.m. because of improved conditions.
Bryan Chartrand, SPSA executive director of land operations, said the province had 11 active wildfires Thursday, including three not contained, five contained, two under ongoing assessment and one protecting property or values.
The two largest fires discussed over the past week have been the Lobstick fire near Shellbrook and Duck Lake, and the Cayford fire south of Red Earth Cree Nation.
Chartrand said the Lobstick fire had seen minimal growth since Sunday and received about 13 millimetres of rain. The fire remained under 19,000 hectares.
“We did receive rain yesterday evening, and throughout the night,” Chartrand said. “Very, very optimistic that we are not going to be challenged with this fire.”
SPSA later said in a Thursday update that the status of the Lobstick fire was now contained. The agency said the fire had not grown, remained under 19,000 hectares, and was moving into the mop-up stage.
Type 1 and Type 2 crews continued to extinguish hot spots, while Type 3 crews could be brought in to help with mop-up work. SPSA said it had concluded its daily fire update for the Lobstick fire, but that could change depending on operational needs.
The RM of Shellbrook posted similar updates this week, saying Wednesday that the fire was 80 per cent contained and had not grown. On Thursday, the RM said the fire was contained and crews were continuing to extinguish hot spots.
Chartrand said the Lobstick fire had been scanned overnight and hot spots remained, including near the Callaghan Lake area and along parts of the east and south perimeter. Crews and dozers were being sent to address those areas.
The improved conditions also allowed people affected by Lobstick evacuations to return home.
Shellbrook Fire and Rescue thanked residents, volunteers, businesses, SPSA, the RM of Shellbrook and other agencies in a Wednesday Facebook post. The department said the Kinettes opened their building to evacuees, helped with registration and organized food, while local businesses and residents helped with meals, donations and water hauling.
“We live in a great community that has shown that they can pull together when need arises,” the department said.
The Cayford fire remained uncontained Thursday, but SPSA said it was approximately 60 per cent contained, primarily because of natural barriers and wet fuels. The agency said the fire had not grown Wednesday or Thursday and remained under 13,000 hectares.
Chartrand said the Cayford fire did not receive as much rain as the Prince Albert and Shellbrook areas, but activity remained low. Crews were working on hot spots on the west flank, while dozers had established a tight guard on the northwest side and were working on the west flank.
He said the fire was not a direct threat to Red Earth Cree Nation or Shoal Lake Cree Nation. The main issue had been access to the communities.
“We don’t foresee it progressing towards the communities or even the roadway, which is why they’re going home,” Chartrand said.
Red Earth Cree Nation Government said in a June 2 re-entry notice that the wildfire was no longer deemed a threat to the community and members were permitted to return home. Charter buses were scheduled to leave Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert at 11 a.m. Wednesday, while members who drove themselves were told they could return at their own discretion.
Joan Hrycyk, SPSA director of emergency and community support, said people who drove out of the affected communities were allowed to start returning Wednesday night. Buses were also scheduled from hotels Thursday for Red Earth and Shoal Lake residents.
Chartrand said rough firefighting cost estimates were already in the millions. He estimated Lobstick at about $2 million to $3 million and Cayford at about $1.5 million to $2 million, though he said final numbers were not yet available.
SPSA had 92 resources assigned to Lobstick and 25 to Cayford. Chartrand said resources include personnel, heavy equipment, dozers, helicopters, and other assigned assets.
SPSA also said it had brought in a Dash 8-Q400 through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre’s Pan-Canadian Aerial Assets Program. A heavy-lift helicopter had also been pre-positioned in Saskatchewan because of increased wildfire activity in central Canada.
Despite the improved conditions, Chartand said the longer-term outlook remains a concern. He said forecasts suggest northern forested areas could become hot and dry later in the season.
“Which is a concern for us, which means more wildfires and also aggressive wildfires,” he said.
SPSA is asking residents to continue monitoring SaskAlert, the agency’s website and local updates. Anyone who spots a wildfire is asked to call 1-800-667-9660, call 911 or contact the nearest SPSA Forest Protection Office.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
