The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) has confirmed 277 primary residences have been destroyed due to northern wildfires, along with 60 cabins and 115 RVs.
The SPSA released the numbers during a press conference Wednesday afternoon. When combined with other losses such as burnt garages, sheds, ATVs, and snowmobiles, SPSA President Marlo Pritchard said the total has exceeded their 500 values lost estimate.
“We know that this is a devastating loss for many of the families and the communities that have been affected,” Pritchard said during the press conference. “We anticipate, as verification continues, that we may see those numbers change, although I do not anticipate that to be a significant number.
“I know this is a challenging time for many who are still out, especially Denare Beach. I do want to let everyone know that I sympathize and I feel for your pain and your loss and we are working together with your community leaders to help rebuild, or the next steps towards rebuilding.”
Pritchard said the SPSA has already reached out to Denare Beach to talk about rebuilding plans. They have confirmed 218 primary residences have been either damaged or destroyed.
“We will be … working in conjunction with that community as we move into a recovery phase,” he said.
The SPSA has also identified all communities where residents are eligible for assistance. That includes $500 for all residents who were asked to evacuate a primary residence and are at least 18-years-old as of June 20, 2025.
The SPSA also continues to send retroactive food security payments. Pritchard said some households could be eligible for up to $200/day.
Pritchard said they have already moved $1.8 million for community distribution. He added that ensuring residents receive the financial support they need “remains a top priority” for the SPSA.
The SPSA is still supporting 172 evacuees from five communities: Denare Beach, Creighton, East Trout Lake, Whelan Bay, and Cumberland House (P1 and P2 residents).
When asked what it would take to lift those evacuation orders, SPSA vice-president of operations Steve Roberts said it’s unique to each community.
Whelan Bay has a number of trees blocking the access road, Roberts said, which make return impossible. Other communities are still working on power, water, or communications.
“Because of the weather, we’re not seeing a whole bunch of smoke issues either so it’s more about the infrastructure,” Roberts said.
“We’re working on that community by community. Likely you’ll see the smaller communities able to go back sooner because there’s less effort that will take to get them ready to go back.”
As of Wednesday, there are 17 active wildfires, with a total of 262 for the season. The normal for this year is 157.
Roberts said the moderate weather has allowed firefighters to make good progress on the largest fires of note. However, he also said the SPSA would continue to rely on external support. That includes help from South Dakota, Colorado, Arizona, the U.S. Forestry Service, and the state of Washington.
