RM of Duck Lake reeve frustrated by provincial fire ban delay as Lobstick fire burns

“With the wind and the heat, it went rapid,” Martin said. “It moved yesterday, approximately four-plus miles to the west of us.”

Martin said the fire’s movement prompted the evacuation of several people as a safety precaution.

Nathan Peter lives near public logging trails through the forest where the Lobstick fire is burning. He stands near the fire on May 28, 2026. (Nick Nielson/paNOW)

“And today it doesn’t look much better. We’re going to have heat and a lot of wind again.”

According to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), the fire was reported on May 26 at 3:10 p.m. and remains uncontained.

“Type 1 and 2 crews are assigned to the fire, along with one of the SPSA’s Emergency Response Teams,” the agency said in an emailed statement. “Additional resources include a retardant tanker group and helicopter support.”

Martin said local fire crews are also helping monitor the perimeter of the blaze, which has raised concerns about nearby homes.

The Lobstick fire burning in the Nisbet forest in the Rural Municipality of Duck Lake in May 2026. (Nathan Peters/Submitted)

“There is potential at some point — hopefully not this year — but other years, it’s come close, that areas could be cut off because of the fires,” he said.

He said two or three homes near the edge of the forest could be at risk depending on how the fire develops.

Martin added the RM has been pushing for more coordination between municipal and provincial fire restrictions in forested areas that cut through rural municipalities.

“We’ve been pushing with the — working with, trying to work with — the government to try to get the provincial forest under the purview of the RM so that when we put a fire ban on, the fire ban is also put on the Nisbet Forest,” he said.

As it stands, Martin said the province must impose its own restrictions in the forest, which he believes slows response times during critical fire conditions.

“We need to be more proactive on this stuff,” he said.

The Lobstick fire burning in the Nisbet forest in the Rural Municipality of Duck Lake in May 2026. The fire’s movement near the RM of Duck Lake, prompted the evacuation of several people as a precaution, according to the Reeve. (Nathan Peters/Submitted)

The public safety agency said municipalities, regional parks and national parks can impose fire bans in their jurisdictions, while the SPSA handles restrictions in provincial forests, parks and on Crown land.

“Make sure to check with your local authority to see if any burning restrictions are currently in effect before you light a fire,” the agency said.

Several fire bans were issued throughout RMs in the province on Wednesday, including full and partial bans in some areas. The Saskatchewan Fire Ban Map shows 23 active rural and urban municipality bans in place.

There are four active wildfires burning in Saskatchewan and 68 wildfires to date. There were 208 wildfires at this time in 2025.