A number of items burned as the Shoe Fire raced through East Trout Lake, which was still under an evacuation order on June 23, 2025. (Carla Beck/Facebook)

Weekend rain helps bring major Sask. wildfires closer to containment

By Daniel Reech Jun 23, 2025 | 6:10 PM

Favourable weather conditions have allowed Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) crews to make progress on containing the northern wildfires.

SPSA Vice-President Steve Roberts said in an update on June 23 that the Shoe Fire was 50-per-cent contained, the Pisew and Wolf fires were 30-per-cent contained and the Ditch Fire was 80-per-cent contained.

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The massive Shoe Fire, which SPSA said on Sunday was 554,484 ha (or nearly 1,370,160 acres nearly 10 times the size of the City of Saskatoon) was listed as the same size as of 11 a.m. on Monday on the SPSA website.

The Pisew Fire, sized at 184,877 ha (or just over 456,841 acres which is around 10 times the size of the City of Regina), the Wolf Fire (161,420 ha or around 398,877 acres, which is about 24 times the size of the City of Prince Albert), and the 182,745 ha (nearly 451,573 acres) Ditch Fire, were all also listed on Monday at the same size as on Sunday.

Roberts said Monday marked the halfway point of the wildfire season.

“We’re seeing our neighbors west of us having increased fire activity so we’re not done yet, but it does change our strategy somewhat now that we have a handle on some of these larger fires,” he told reporters on a conference call.

“We will be moving some of our staff back into what we call initial attack, so that is a primary response to a reported fire. So in other words, we get a chance to go to assess it — if it’s small enough at the time, we can go in and actually put it out; if it’s going to take some more resources, we can then deploy them and stack those in.”

Roberts added that this part of the SPSA’s program will get heavier as weather conditions return to seasonal, but it will keep staff resources on the current flames it is battling.

19 active fires on June 23

There were 19 active wildfires in the province on Monday afternoon, and there have been 267 since the season began, well-above the five-year average of 162.

Roberts said Highways 912, 927 and 167 continue to have roadblocks and limited access because of the fires.

He said evacuees from Creighton, Denare Beach and Cumberland House have returned home for the most part, except for those with medical needs.

Roberts said there are 46 people with medical needs who are receiving support from SPSA.

“Some may still be with family and friends, and others may be with Red Cross at this point, but those are the ones currently being supported,” he said.

There have been no changes to the losses from the fires with 1,931 recorded that include structures and other possessions, including houses, sheds, quads, snowmobiles, trailers, and boats as of Monday.

Roberts said $500 support cheques from the Government of Saskatchewan are being distributed, and $3.8 million has been doled out for distribution so far.

— with files from CKOM News

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