The Rabbit Creek wildfire at Prince Albert National Park was among the biggest wildfires in the province in 2018. (File photo/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Wildfire season

Wildfire risk in northern Saskatchewan “low”: Fire centre manager

Apr 18, 2019 | 12:25 PM

Provincial fire fighters may be in store for a quieter summer, according to one expert who looks after forecasting wildfire activity.

Dennis Truman, manager of the Provincial Fire Centre in Prince Albert, said the anticipated normal spring runoff has helped a bit.

“We have been receiving some rain, making the wildfire hazard fairly low so at this point I don’t think we have a whole lot of concern,” he said.

Truman explained a number of factors play a role in the wildfire risk assessment including precipitation, wind, and how much moisture was in the ground at the time of freeze up last fall. Looking ahead at the coming months, Truman said he did not anticipate any major controlled burns.

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“There may be some happening near mid-May but that’s all weather dependant as well,” he said.

So far this year there have been seven active wildfires, which is slightly above the five-year average. Truman said preparations for the upcoming season, such as crew training and aircraft maintenance, have already been completed.

“What I will tell you right now is at the moment we are looking fairly positive but the situation can change in a very short time,” Truman said.

For 2018, there 416 wildfires including the 17,600 hectare Rabbit Creek fire at Prince Albert National Park, and the Tuff fire in the Meadow Lake area which grew to 6,500 hectares in size. Both fires forced dozens of families to leave their homes and cabins. From the total last year, 253 fires were human caused and 163 were caused by lightning.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell