Sask. forests under broad fire ban amid ‘extreme’ wildfire risk

WATCH: A huge swath of Saskatchewan’s boreal forest is under a provincial fire ban.

A huge swath of Saskatchewan’s boreal forest is under a provincial fire ban.

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) said Thursday that the ban, which covers the forested area from just north of Prince Albert up to the Churchill River, is the result of high fire activity and “extreme fire risk.”

Open fires, controlled burns and fireworks are prohibited in the area, including in provincial parks and recreation sites.

“At this time, implementing a fire ban is a necessary action to protect lives, communities, major infrastructure and resources from wildfire,” said Steve Roberts, SPSA vice-president of operations.

“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 public safety agency says human-caused wildfires usually start in accessible areas near communities and roads.

“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 in Saskatchewan,” the SPSA said.

As of Friday morning, there were 24 active wildfires in the province, including nine that were uncontained and expected to continue growing in size.

Find an interactive fire ban map on the SPSA website here.