With snow barely off the ground, parts of Saskatchewan are already facing heightened wildfire danger.
Several rural municipalities, including Vanscoy, Corman Park, Rosthern, Eagle Creek and Meadow Lake, have issued fire bans as dry conditions settle in.
In the RM of Vanscoy, Reeve Leonard Junop says a recent grass fire nearly turned disastrous.
“It’s getting dry out and we had a big fire on Monday. It got out of control and came very close to burning a couple of houses down,” Junop said.
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“So we would rather be a little bit proactive to try and stop the fires from happening because we don’t want to deal with loss of property or especially loss of life,” he added.
Further north in Meadow Lake, Fire Chief Joe Grela shares similar concerns.
“Looking at the long-range forecast, I think it’s going to be prolonged. It could be well into May,” Grela said. “It’s very dependent on how much moisture we get in the coming weeks.”
Grela also urged rural residents to take precautions — not just for safety, but to avoid costly consequences.
“If a wildland fire develops on your property and gets out of control, it can get quite expensive — not just for fire department services, but in terms of property and equipment loss,” he explained.
Fire officials are encouraging residents to consult FireSmart programs, which offer strategies for protecting homes and properties during dry, high-risk seasons.
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