Due to extreme wildfire hazards, the Saskatchewan government has expanded the ban on all open fires issued May 10 to include Lac La Ronge Provincial Park and all Crown forest north of the Churchill River.
The province says the original fire ban for the west side of the commercial forest remains in place.
The boundaries of the expanded fire ban area are: the Saskatchewan/Northwest Territories border east to the Saskatchewan/Manitoba border; the Saskatchewan/Manitoba border south to the Churchill River; the Churchill River west to the Lac La Ronge Provincial Park boundary; the park boundary south to Highway 912; Highway 912 south to the junction with Highway 165; Highway 165 west to the junction with Highway 2; Highway 2 south to the junction with Highway 916; Highway 916 west to the eastern boundary of Prince Albert National Park (PANP); north to the the northern boundary of PANP; the northern boundary of PANP; the western boundary of PANP, south to provincial forest boundary; the provincial forest boundary west to the Saskatchewan/Alberta border; the Alberta border north to the Northwest Territories border.
This fire ban includes all provincial parks and recreation sites within the ban area, including: Athabasca Sand Dunes, Clearwater River, Lac La Ronge, Makwa Lake, Meadow Lake and Steele Narrows provincial parks, and Bronson Forest and Chitek Lake recreation sites.
A fire ban also applies to all area administered by the Northern Municipal Services Branch of the Ministry of Government Relations located within the ban area, including northern settlements and resort subdivisions. A fire ban is also in place for Prince Albert National Park.
All burn notification numbers – issued to those planning to burn in or within 4.5 km of provincial forests – for the ban area are revoked. Fireworks are also prohibited. CSA-approved self-contained portable gas heating devices and fire pits, barbecues, pressurized stoves, and charcoal briquettes used in a ministry-approved firebox will be permitted for cooking and heating purposes for the duration of the ban.
There has been no significant rainfall in this entire area recently, leading to extremely dry conditions that are expected to continue.
The government says the fire ban will stay in place until conditions.