Steve Roberts, vice-president of operations at Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, said the wildfires in Saskatchewan this year have been significant, but have yet to break any records..Humans caused a significant number of wildfires, according to Roberts. .Roberts urged people to be careful when using fire heading into the August long weekend..Roberts asked that people be cautious when starting campfires and using fireworks. Additionally, while operating ATVs, avoid idling them in dry regions..“The behaviour of the citizens of Saskatchewan make a big difference to our wildfire season and the amount of impact we will have,” said Roberts..Approximately 1.2 million hectares of land have burned in the province this season..In 2015, the record was set when 1.7 million hectares of land burned in one year..“We as an agency have to prepare for a busy season,” said Roberts. .“If it’s a slow season, that’s fine, and if it’s a busy season, we will be prepared to do the best we can to manage all these fires on the landscape.”.There are 54 active wildfires, with 34 currently under assessment, three fires are contained, 11 are affecting protected properties and six are not contained..As of Tuesday, there have been 370 wildfires in the province this year, which is higher than the five-year average of 312, but lower than the ten-year average of 415.
