Fire danger ratings across Saskatchewan range from high to extreme, as province-wide hot and dry conditions persist. Saskatchewan emergency management commissioner Duane McKay urged caution at a news conference in Regina Tuesday.
“We anticipate high 20s to 30s and low relative humidities. That puts us into what we refer to as a ‘crossover situation,’ where things are extremely volatile,” McKay said.
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As of Tuesday morning, there had been at least 102 wildfires to date in Saskatchewan, compared to 81 at the same point last year.
By the end of the 2015 fire season, 17,000 square kilometres of forest was destroyed.
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“Last year was extreme and we did a lot of consultations over the winter to look at our operation, and look at ways that we can do things better,” McKay said.
Wildfire personnel were called in early this year and air crews have already started dropping fire retardant in the Neudorf area, McKay said.
With files from The Canadian Press
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