Our neighbours in the eastern part of the province are dealing with wildfire smoke from fires burning in northern Saskatchewan and northern Manitoba. A special air quality statement is in effect for an area from Candle Lake east to the Manitoba boundary south to the U.S. border including Melfort, Tisdale, Nipawin, Humboldt, Wynard, and Yorkton.

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency has issued a fire ban in northern Saskatchewan. The provincial fire ban went into effect at 5 p.m. Thursday and encompasses the area north of the provincial forest boundary up to the Churchill River.

The fire ban prohibits any open fires, controlled burns and fireworks in the designated boundary, and includes provincial parks, provincial recreation sites and the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District in the area.

In a news release SPSA Vice-President of Operations Steve Roberts said, “The primary cause of the current wildfires in the province is human activity. We are strongly reminding the public that human-caused fires are preventable.”

The SPSA says simple actions like not driving a vehicle on dry grass, drowning campfires until embers are cool and talking to young children about fire safety can make an impact on the number of fires that are started.

As of Friday morning, there are 24 active wildfires in Saskatchewan. There have been 135 wildfire and grassfires so far this year. Saskatchewan had experienced 116 wildfires at the same time last year and the five-year average is 64. Twelve of the wildfires are contained, nine are not and three are under assessment.