Record number of forest fires cause ban

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Extremely dry weather conditions have been a major factor in setting a 20-year record high in the number of forest fires in Saskatchewan this year. As a result, a fire ban has been issued.

"There are 75 fires active and 11 are not yet listed as under control," said John Cook, spokesperson for Environment and Resource Management (SERM). "We currently have 1,786 firefighters at work."

To date, there have been a total of 1,093 forest fires in the province compared to 447 fires last year at this time.

"The heat wave we had in the south shifted to the north, where we have some extremely hazardous conditions," he said.

On August 11, SERM Minister Lorne Scott announced a ban on all open fires in or within 4.5 kilometers of the provincial forests in the area north of Highway 55 to the Saskatchewan/Northwest Territories boundary, as well as in the Nisbet and Fort-a-la-Corne provincial forests.

The ban includes all provincial parks and recreation sites in the areas. All outstanding burning permits have been revoked and fires are restricted to the use of briquettes only in facilities approved by SERM.

"The extremely dry conditions all over the north make open fires just too dangerous," said Scott.

He said it is evident such a ban will be an inconvenience for many, but doesn't anticipate a problem with people not following the rules.

"We always have good co-opertion from the public when fire bans are necessary. I'm sure people will respect the ban, in spite of the inconvenience," he said.

Cook added, "We have a big enough problem with all the forest fires, we can't afford having any more set by human mistakes."

For cooking and heating purposes, outdoor enthusiasts are advised to carry self-contained heating devices or pressurized stoves for the duration of the ban.

Department officials are encouraging campers, anglers, travellers and forest residents to support fire suppression efforts by reporting any fires observed to the nearest SERM office or by calling the toll free fire watch number 1-800-667-9660.