Two wildfires in northern Saskatchewan posing a concern: SPSA
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) says there are two wildfires of concern in the northern part of the province.
Steve Roberts, SPSA vice-president of operations, said one of the fires of concern is the Lock fire, which is located between the Alberta border and Buffalo Narrows.
The fired covered 4,700 hectares, as of Saturday morning.
"It did receive some rain, not significant but some rain so fire behaviour is moderate today. They will take the opportunity to get crews out and take advantage of this cooling trend to get some containment of this fire," Roberts said during a teleconference Saturday morning.
He said the primary concern of the Lock fire is the Eastern flank that is posing a direct threat to communities approximately 20 kilometres away.
There are currently 26 active wildfires in Saskatchewan, according to an active wildfire map on the province's website.
The Briggs fire near the Cigar Lake Uranium mine is also causing a concern, the SPSA said.
On Thursday, around 230 Cameco workers were evacuated while 80 essential personnel remained on site and were able to secure the fire perimeter around the mine.
The Briggs fire covers over 22,000 hectares.
SPSA said until the province gets moisture and precipitation, the wildfires will continue.
"The low pressure is going to come down form the north and the rest of the province is going to cool down slightly and improve our action on fires, but we won't have a drastic drop in fire hazards in the near future," Roberts said.
The fire is also being managed by crews, aircraft and heavy equipment operators.
A province-wide fire ban was issued Friday due to hot, dry conditions and an extreme fire risk.
"Many rural municipalities opted to join us in reducing this risk by imposing their own fire bans as well. The intent is to remove the potential for human caused fires as we anticipate more fires from lightning and managing the couple significant fires we currently have in the province at this time," Roberts said.
To date there have been 216 wildfires this year while the five year average is 197, the agency said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.