Image courtesy of Thomas Sierzycki, Facebook.
Early indications point to a reduced forest fire threat in Saskatchewan this year.
So far this year, there have been 50 forest fires, compared to the five-year average of 91.
Only one of those fires is still burning, but it is under control, and is less than one square kilometre in size. That fire is about 100 kilometres east of La Ronge. The reduced fire threat is a result of lots of moisture last year.
The worst year on record for wildfires in Saskatchewan was 2015 when 13,000 people from 50 northern communities had to be evacuated. Seven hundred and twenty fires burned through 17,000 square kilometres of forest.
Although other seasons saw more fires and more square kilometres burned, 2015, had the greatest impact on people’s lives and the greatest dollar losses.
The 2016 forest fire season was about average for Saskatchewan, but devastating for Alberta when the huge blaze, nicknamed the beast, burned through Fort McMurray and moved all the way to the Saskatchewan border.
The fire caused more than $3.6 billion dollars in losses, and was the costliest insured disaster in Canadian history.
Saskatchewan’s wildfire management budget this year is $67,534,000. That’s an increase of two million from last year.