Sask. sending fire hose to B.C., warning about human-caused fires at home

As B.C. declares a state of emergency and tries to deal with massive wildfires, Saskatchewan’s government is sending some help.

According to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), it’s responded to a request made through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre and sent 2,000 lengths of 1.5 inch fire hose to B.C.

“The SPSA will continue to support our mutual aid partners upon request and send our condolences to those that recently experienced significant loss,” read a statement from the agency.

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Faulder, B.C. has been destroyed and one person killed by the Bald Range wildfire, which has also forced 20,000 out of their homes around Okanagan Lake.

The BC Wildfire Service says the fire is about 136 square kilometres as it burns out of control on the outskirts of Summerland, a community of 12,000 people.

A Saskatchewan-born winemaker described the incoming fire and said he and his family had to leave their home and are staying in Vancouver.

Other fires

Saskatchewan has also responded to requests from other provinces: sending one air attack officer to the Northwest Territories, which had 200 active wildfires as of mid-July.

It’s also sent a Pratt & Whitney turbine engine for a CL-415 water bomber to Ontario, where record wildfires forced hundreds of people out of their homes in northern areas.

At the same time, Saskatchewan is also responding to its own emergencies, though the current wildfire season has been significantly less severe than in 2025.

As of Tuesday morning, there were 19 active wildfires in Saskatchewan and six active flooding incidents being addressed by the public safety agency.

In the last week, the agency said six new wildfires had been reported, with four having been put out by Monday.

The agency said five of the six new wildfires were suspected to have been caused by humans.

“The SPSA reminds residents and visitors that human-caused fires are preventable and to please continue to take precautions when outdoors, especially in dry and forested areas,” read the agency’s statement.

Saskatchewan has had 319 wildfires so far in 2026. By this time in 2025, there had been 471, compared to a five-year average of 439.

– with files from The Canadian Press