'So that we’re ready': Fire crews in Prince Albert National Park deal with fluctuating risk level

Fire crews northern Saskatchewan are having to pivot, as changing risk levels become the norm this summer.

The low fire risk early in the season has rebounded following the July heat wave. In Prince Albert National Park (PANP), nestled in Sask.’s boreal forest, the fire strategy involves the use of what’s called a fuel break.

A clearing on the southern side of the resort village of Waskesiu is part of a calculated fire prevention strategy.

“This, strip would be approximately two kilometers long by about 300metres,” said Glenn Rupert, the park’s fire management officer.

This fuel break, which gets burned each year, goes all the way around Waskesiu — the lake providing a natural fuel break on one side.

Two four-person attack crews carry out a prescribed burn annually to get rid of anything that may add fuel to a fire, if it were to start – preventing it from spreading to Waskesiu.

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They’re constantly monitoring the ground, even after rainfall.

“We're watching for those trends and, and how long that takes to dry out, so that we’re ready,” he said.

Many of the coniferous trees are removed, as they burn easier. The deciduous trees can help in fire suppression because their leaves actually add moisture.

“In this part of the fuel break, there's a lot of wildlife that comes in here in the spring. So the elk and the deer really like the fresh lush growth after we burn it first thing in the spring. And so it's a nice spot to come and see some of that wildlife as well,” Rupert says.

Because of significant rainfall earlier in the season, some of the park firefighters were sent to other parts of the country at higher risk — quite a different scenario than the past few years of significant drought.

Climate change added to the need for a fuel break, which was first created in 2001.

“As the forest has grown and is aging, there's more fuel. The fires have been getting bigger and the community has grown as well. So we looked at different ways of managing it,” Dustin Guedo, vegetation ecologist with PANP told CTV News.

With so many residents and visitors to Waskesiu, deciding whether to impose a fire ban within the park is in constant flux. They watch fire scenarios in other areas closely.

“There's been more evacuations. We've been going through some really, heavy fire seasons the last couple of years and so the need for community protection is very up front and center for a lot of communities,” he said.

That’s especially true in the boreal forest, according to Guedo.

Currently there’s no ban on campfires in the park, but they recommend watching their website for the most up to date information. Prince Albert National Park (canada.ca)

The province of Saskatchewan has issued a fire ban in other areas of the province and national park staff are monitoring the situation every day.