Environment Official Defends Forest Fire Policy

Environment Official Defends Forest Fire Policy

Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 15:39

A Saskatchewan Environment official says the province’s forest fire policy is not to blame for the recent evacuation of six northern communities.

A La Ronge woman has been urging people to pressure their local MLAs to scrap the so-called “let it burn” policy.

Susie Carle is upset that fire control officials weren’t able to spare crews recently to help battle a fire threatening an area along the Churchill River important to her family.

Carle argues the province’s resources were stretched because they let blazes near communities get out of control.

But Daryl Jessop says all of the fires close to evacuated communities were attended to as soon as they were spotted, because they were in an area the province considers a “full response zone”.

Jessop also says the province took its cue from public consultations when it determined in 2003 which values would be of highest priority for fire suppression.