The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) set up camp in La Ronge at the Mel Hegland arena grounds May 19 to support wildfire fighting crews in the area.
The Incident Command Post “is being used to provide workspace and lodging for active Type 2 operators and other personnel from Saskatchewan communities and First Nations,” quoted from a SPSA email to the Northern Advocate.
Initially it was set up to respond to the SHARP, WAPPA AND MCKENNA fires and “other areas when needed.”
SPSA fought the fires from the air and ground and were using technology from “behind the scenes”.
The camp was moved to the Elks Fairground after the Fair. It has been the only camp “of its kind currently deployed by the SPSA.”
While it is the only camp of its kind set up, SPSA assesses every wildfire and makes a decision about the best way to manage each one and the Incident Command Posts are one of the resources used to manage and fight wildfires in Saskatchewan.
The Posts can be used for housing, operations, training, storage and more depending on the need.
“The impermanent structure of camps allow the SPSA to establish multiple facilities throughout the province and adjust to the wildfire season,” quoted from the email.
“The SPSA sets up and demobilizes a variety of impermanent facilities throughout the wildfire season. While the facility in La Ronge is the only significant camp currently set up in Saskatchewan, the SPSA has used other impermanent facilities to support wildfire response throughout northern Saskatchewan” quoted from a separate SPSA email.
The La Ronge Tanker Base has also been kept busy over the summer fighting wildfires across Saskatchewan’s north, with the first one coming much earlier than usual, in March, when waterways were still frozen, too early for the water bombers to be used, Fred Jorgensen, Captain at the Tanker Base, said during a tour of the Tanker Base.
