The Shaw fire south of Buffalo Narrows prompted evacuation notices and a local state of emergency. (Jr Gerald G Glasser/Facebook)

By Logan Lehmann

Feeling the burn

Year in Review: Wildfires burn bright in Saskatchewan with record breaking year

Dec 30, 2023 | 5:00 PM

As 2023 draws to a close, paNOW is taking a look back on the most important and impactful stories of the year, as selected by our reporters and editorial staff.

Saskatchewan saw records shatter this past year as wildfires left their mark across the province and close to home.

In 2023, 505 fires were reported and burned approximately 1.9 million hectares of land, which is about five times the size of Prince Albert National Park according to Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA).

That large amount of land burnt contributed to the partial and full evacuations of some Northern communities, including La Loche, Buffalo Narrows, and Deschambault Lake.

The Shaw fire was the largest of the fires in the province in 2023 and was the fire that forced the partial evacuation of Buffalo Narrows as well as threatened the nearby communities of Île-à-la-Crosse and Patuanak. At its peak, the fire grew to more than 186,000 hectares and destroyed the forests of the Sakitawak Conservation Area Project, a 22,000-square-kilometre area home to more than 300 species of plants and animals.

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Additionally, the Shaw fire forced the evacuations of Dillon, St. George’s Hill, and Michel Village.

READ MORE: Buffalo Narrows declares state of emergency, issues evacuation notices for some residents due to wildfire

Further north saw the communities of La Loche and Clearwater River Dene Nation issue partial and full evacuations after a fire grew too close for comfort.

At the start of May, both communities were evacuated for different reasons. La Loche was fully evacuated because of the threatening fire while Clearwater River only evacuated some of its residents due to access to the community. The fire got as big as 216 hectares in size, or 400 football fields, and jumped Highway 955, the only road into the reserve.

Residents were allowed to return home a short while later before La Loche was partially evacuated again later in the month due to heavy smoke in the area.

READ MORE: Clearwater River sees 47 members evacuate due to wildfire, more expected to leave

In the northeast, a fire threatening the lakeside community of Deschambault Lake forced some its residents to evacuate by boat.

The KPIR02 fire spread rapidly near the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) village, growing 1,300 hectares in 48 hours from when it was first spotted. The fire also cut off the only road to the village, Highway 911, leaving residents stranded in their homes.

Some people opted to escape by boat while other residents took the flamed Highway in organized convoys when deemed safe to do so.

The KPIR02 fire was burning just 3km south of the community. (NASA/Fire Information for Resource Management System)

Looking back, SPSA reported that a total of 2,703 people were evacuated during the busy wildfire season while a minimal of 43 structures were destroyed.

SPSA also reported that there were no fatalities due to wildfires in 2023.

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com