Saskatchewan under province-wide fire ban in wake of heat wave [Video]

The province’s firefighting agency is issuing a province-wide fire ban in the wake of a week-long heat wave, as the hot and dry conditions have contributed to a high fire risk.

Effective at noon on Thursday, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) said the fire ban applies to Crown lands, provincial parks and recreation sites, as well as the entire northern boreal forest.

“We are asking the public to take extreme caution to prevent wildfires during this time. This includes being cautious using all-terrain vehicles and to report a fire if they see a fire,” SPSA vice-president of operations Steve Roberts said in a news release on Thursday.

The ban prohibits any open fires, controlled burns, and fireworks, also includes all land within 4.5 km of the provincial forest boundary.

According to the SPSA, nearly half of the wildfires are caused by human activity —usually starting in inaccessible areas near …