Dry weather leads to fire bans for parts of Saskatchewan

April showers bring May flowers, but for many living in northern Saskatchewan the start of spring has been hot and dry.

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) issued a number of fire bans this week for areas near Prince Albert and other communities to the west of the province, near Lloydminster. The RM of Corman Park, which surrounds Saskatoon, also issued a fire ban this week.

Prince Albert fire chief Kris Olsen suggested the area is seeing such high fire risk right now because of just how quickly the snow melted up north.

“Snow accumulation – in my view – was average or above average, but with the snow melt we just noticed right from the get go that the snow cover melted really quick and we were left with these dry conditions with not a lot of precipitation,” said Olsen.

“We got a little bit in April, but it was very little.”

Because of the lack of rain, the fire chief said many areas in the region are dealing with high wildfire risks. That’s why a lot of them decided to issue the bans.

Olsen said it’s very early in the season to see fire bans in place.

“We have had fire bans – north of the river specifically – in May, but it’s always been later and into June,” he explained. “In my time with the fire service, this is one of the earliest times we’ve declared a partial fire ban.”

He said he’s hoping to see some rain, or the region could be dealing with even more bans as the season progresses.

“If we do not see improvements to moisture soon, you could possibly see that fire ban expand to all city property north of the river,” Olsen said.

The warm weather is encouraging for those trying to get an early start on the camping season, but Olsen reminded all campers to be very cautious about fires and check for bans. He said it’s important to be aware of how much dry fuel is found in wooded areas.

“The impacts can be huge,” he said.

Details on all current fire bans can be found on the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency’s website.