Saskatchewan’s massive Shoe Fire still only 68 per cent contained: SPSA

There were 64 active fires burning in Saskatchewan on Saturday, with the massive Shoe Fire first reported on May 7, still only 68 per cent contained, according to Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA).

SPSA said in its daily report at 11 a.m. on July 5 that number includes grass and forest fires, and there have been 343 blazes so far in 2025. In 2024 at this time 221 fires had been recorded.

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SPSA said there were five evacuation orders in the province, including in Beauval, Bear Creek, Lac La Plonge, La Plonge Reserve, and Kinoosao. Denare Beach is also still listed as under evacuation because some residents remain supported outside the community.

Active fires in the province on July 5, 2025. (Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency)

The Saturday report said that 22 of the 64 blazes were not contained, while another 24 of the fires were under ongoing assessment and firefighters were protecting values in 11. Eight fires were considered contained.

Contained means suppression action is taking place and the fire is not expected to grow in size, ongoing assessment means the fire is being monitored regularly to assess risk to values in the area and not contained means suppression action is taking place but the fire is expected to grow in size, according to SPSA. Protecting values means a fire is active and action is focused on protecting things like cabins and infrastructure.

The Muskeg Fire, responsible for most of the evacuation orders, had grown to 23,836 ha (just over 58,900 acres or slightly bigger than the size of the city of Saskatoon) on Saturday after merging with the Bay Fire, SPSA said. It is not contained and has closed both Hwy 918 and Hwy 165.

Also not contained are:

Pisew Fire: West of La Ronge (187,705 ha or just over 463,829 acres), which has closed the bridge at Clam Crossing on Hwy 935);

Shoe Fire: near Lower Fishing Lake (554,667 ha or just over 1,370,612 acres), which has forced the closure of Hwy 912, Narrow Hills Provincial Park and East Trout-Nipekamew Lakes Recreation Site;

Wolf Fire: Near Creighton (161,420 ha or 398,877.5 acres on the Saskatchewan side of the provincial border with Manitoba);

Santo Fire: East of Pinehouse (20,000 ha or just over 49, 421 acres);

Ditch Fire: North of Weyakwin (183,120 ha or just over 452,499 acres);

Gunner Fire: Northwest of Southend which SPSA said had a possibility of compromising Highway 905 (300 ha or just over 741 acres.)

Cooler and rainy weather recently means that fire bans are only active in 19 urban municipalities (UMs), 23 rural municipalities (RMs) and one provincial park in the province, but the the fire danger is nevertheless considered high over much of the southern part of Saskatchewan, with pockets where it is considered extreme in the southeast.