Province preparing for upcoming wildfire season
CBC News | Posted: February 19, 2016 2:47 AM | Last Updated: February 19, 2016
Ministry of Environment preparing after precedent-setting 2015 wildfire season
Even with snow still on the ground, the Ministry of Environment is preparing for wildfire season.
After a precedent-setting wildfire season in 2015, government spokesperson Karen Hill said the government will be ready to respond to upcoming wildfires as they occur.
"It is difficult to predict what the 2016 wildfire season may bring, as hazards depend on many factors including the timing and speed of the snow melt, temperatures, late winter [and] spring precipitation, and the overall forest fuel conditions," Hill said in an emailed statement.
The wildfire season in Saskatchewan's north runs from April 1 to Oct 31. Hill said with the warm winter and below normal snowfall, Wildfire Management is getting ready for the possibility of an early start to the season.
- 'Unprecedented' wildfires force out 13,000 Sask. evacuees
- 1,000s of Saskatchewan fire evacuees returning home to La Ronge and area
To prepare for an early start, Hill said the ministry will be bringing aircrafts into service and recalling wildfire crews two weeks earlier than usual.
More than 13,000 people left their homes due to northern Saskatchewan blazes last summer.
It was deemed the biggest evacuation effort in the province's history.