Cooler temperatures, rain, and calmer winds are helping Saskatchewan wildfire crews tackle high-risk areas, according to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA).SPSA Vice President of Operations Steve Roberts confirmed the improved weather is allowing access to previously unsafe zones. "Weather has been cooperating with us ... allowing us to get more handle on some of these fires, putting crews into some of these areas that were too dangerous and high risk before," Roberts told the media.This help enables a shift in firefighting tactics. "Our tactics have switched from aerial suppression to try and hold these fires to actual direct attack on the ground with firefighters to start securing these lines," said Roberts..Roberts pointed out that these fires will likely continue through the season, requiring constant monitoring despite the reduced risk.The favourable conditions also prompted changes to fire bans. Effective Tuesday evening, areas north of the Churchill River that received significant rain will have their fire bans lifted. Bans remain south of the Churchill River and in the provincial forest, subject to ongoing weather reviews.Some evacuated residents are returning home. .Residents of Pelican Narrows, Birch Portage, Weyakwin, and Timber Bay can now return, and crews at the Foran Mine near Denare Beach are back at work.Despite these returns, many evacuees remain displaced. As of Tuesday, the Canadian Red Cross is supporting 9,160 individuals, while the SPSA is helping 860. SPSA President Marlo Pritchard acknowledged a "backlog" in evacuee support calls overwhelmed systems initially. Additional SPSA staff are now handling the increase, prioritizing urgent needs like immediate lodging over those staying with family. .Support includes food vouchers, financial aid, and hotel rooms.As of 2 pm on Tuesday, 23 active wildfires burned in Saskatchewan. Six were not contained, ten were under ongoing assessment, and five were contained. Fire bans remain in 59 urban municipalities, 112 rural municipalities, and 33 provincial parks, with danger ratings high to extreme across most of Saskatchewan.The 257 fires recorded so far in 2025 are above the five year average of 146 to date.
