Saskatchewan had 25 ongoing wildfires, with eight of these fires under control and six not contained yet, as of 2 p.m. on Wednesday..According to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), the number of fires starting in May has doubled compared to the average of the past five years..The SPSA also mentioned that they are ensuring delivery trucks continue providing food and fuel to northern communities..For the past week, paramedic Brock Hunter has been stationed near Buffalo Narrows and said the fire has been difficult to predict..“It’s actually quite erratic,” says Hunter..“Especially for this time of the year, a lot of the type one and type two firefighters out here are commenting how they haven’t seen so much fuel and such wild wind changes in quite a long time.”.“You will hear on the radio, a helicopter pilot with a bucket of water visually looking for people,” says Hunter..“It’s on the fly, basically figuring out how to talk to each other.”.The SPSA emergency crisis support team has assisted evacuees by providing them with food, clothing, and shelter. Presently, 113 individuals from Dillon, St. Georges Hill, and Michel Village have been relocated to Lloydminster. Additionally, 169 people from the English River First Nation and Patuanak have been moved to North Battleford, while 47 individuals from Buffalo Narrows have been transferred to Regina..On Tuesday, the SPSA imposed a fire ban on all provincial parks due to the hot and dry conditions. With the long weekend approaching in just a few days, there is growing concern about the possibility of more fires starting..“It’s easy to say that a large majority of the fires that were dealing with have been started by human cause,” said Bryan Chartrand, land operations executive director of SPSA..A toll-free hotline for information regarding wildfires, fire bans, and evacuations has been established. The hotline will be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and staff will monitor it to provide assistance and information..The number is 1-855-559-5502.
