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By Nigel Maxwell

Wildfire season

Smoke concerns raised in Northern Saskatchewan

Jul 24, 2019 | 5:00 PM

A handful of communities in the Athabasca region are dealing with smoky skies this week.

Smoke from Alberta has been crossing the border, and there are over a dozen active wildfires north of Stony Rapids. There has been no consideration at this stage for evacuations but Dr. Nnamdi Ndubuka, the Medical Health Officer for the Northern Inter- Tribal Health Authority encouraged people to monitor for symptoms of smoke inhalation.

“There seems to be no concerns at the moment but the smoke situation is subject to change depending on the wind and fire behaviours,” he said.

Among the communities threatened by smoke are Fond-du-Lac, Wollaston Lake, and Uranium City. Dr. Ndubuka said young children and the elderly are most susceptible to respiratory problems from the smoke. He further encouraged people to keep their windows closed and to limit their activity outdoors.

“If cooling is needed, use a fan or air conditioning if available,” he said.

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The darker areas on this smoke model indicates areas where there are higher smoke levels. (Facebook/ Prince Albert Grand Council)

According to a statement from the Ministry of Environment, most of the active 24 wildfires in the province are in remote locations. While there is no direct threat to any community at this time, the ministry acknowledged that the smoke is having some impact on the ministry’s ability to utilize its aircraft in the Stony Rapids area.

Wildfire hazards are high in the northern part of the provincial forest, moderate for central areas, with high to extreme hazards in the south. Extreme hazards are located mainly in the southwest corner of Saskatchewan. To date this year there have been 197 active wildfires in Saskatchewan, compared to the five-year average of 341 fires for this time of year.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell