Cooler weather and scattered rain are helping Saskatchewan firefighting crews “turn a corner” after weeks of wildfires that forced more than 10,000 residents to leave their homes.Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) said there had been 259 fires as of today, which is far above the five year average of 147. Officials say 80% were human caused.The RCMP had laid two arson charges and are investigating about 30 deliberately set fires.Approximately 290 “structures” were destroyed, and the SPSA warned that it could exceed 400 once every burned cabin, cottage, and vehicle is checked..A fire ban on all-terrain vehicles, open flames, and fireworks now applies only to the forest north of the Churchill River, replacing a blanket order that covered the “northern tourism belt.”Roughly 10,000 evacuees remain in hotels or community centres. The province is distributing a one-time $500 payment to each displaced adult. Crews continue to tackle six major fires. The Shoe fire is the largest at 550,000 hectares and is holding steady but no longer threatens Candle Lake. The weather forecast shows five to six more days of cool, damp weather, giving fire crews time to secure containment lines and safeguard northern communities.
