Sask wildfire season underway

Seasonal staff has returned to the Prince Albert wildfire centre and provincial administration considers itself ready to tackle this year’s wildfire season.

Provincial Wildfire Centre Manager Dennis Trueman said preparations have been completed on aircraft equipment, seasonal staff hiring and training and contracting of specialized services.

“Wildfire management is anticipating a normal start to the 2017 wildfire season,” he said.

The Water Security Agency predicts a normal spring runoff for much of the province but Trueman explained fire hazards depend on many factors besides the amount of runoff, including timing and speed of the snow melt, temperatures, precipitation, water table levels and overall forest floor fuel conditions.

“Its hard to predict what the season may bring,” he added.

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Firefighters are expecting an early start to wildfire activity on the West side of the province which received less moisture. The East side, however, has its own set of concerns.

“There were lots of crops left out on the fields in the East side of the province,” Trueman said. “We expect to see lots of agricultural burning and we’ll be monitoring that and will be ready to act on any fires.”

The province will be better equipped to handle any blazes. After spending roughly $100 million responding to historic wildfires in 2015, the province added more equipment, including pumps, hoses, and more crews. 

“Last year we added four more four-person crews and five more five-person crews across the province,” Trueman said.

The wildfire season runs from April 1 to October 31. So far, there has only been two reported fires in the province this year. 

teena.monteleone@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TeenaMonteleone