Latest news with #SteveRoberts
CTV News
a day ago
- Climate
- CTV News
LIVE @ 1:30: Sask. public safety agency to provide update as 50+ wildfires continue to burn
As wildfires continue to burn out of control in the province's north, officials with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) are set to provide an update on its containment efforts. The news conference scheduled for 1:30 p.m. will be streamed live at the top of this article. On July 18, the SPSA's vice president of operations Steve Roberts said the agency needed 'more boots on the ground' as many fire crews have been working almost non-stop for the past six weeks. Reinforcements have been arriving in waves, including 40 firefighters from Australia, 40 from Mexico and more personnel from Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. As of Monday afternoon, there are 52 active wildfires in the province – with only three being considered contained. A total of 384 fires have been recorded since the beginning of the year, falling short of the 404 fires in the same period in 2024 – but above the five-year average of 309. The Buhl Fire, which has crossed over into Prince Albert National Park, has burned 50,550 hectares so far – with 10,023 hectares falling within the park's boundaries. Parks Canada says 121 personnel are assigned to fight the fire, not including SPSA support staff. The operation also includes nine pieces of heavy equipment and 10 helicopters. The Buhl Fire has caused pre-evacuation alerts for communities such as Waskesiu. However, as of July 19, the fire had not advanced further toward any communities in the area. Ramsey Bay – 8 kilometres Montreal Lake – 12 kilometres Waskesiu – 31 kilometres Bittern Lake – 32 kilometres Elk Ridge – 35 kilometres McPhee Lake – 38 kilometres Eight communities are currently under active evacuation orders. They include Canoe Lake/Cole Bay/ Canoe Narrows, Jans Bay, La Plonge Indian Reserve, Montreal Lake Cree Nation, Northern Village of Beauval, Northern Village of Pinehouse, Patuanak/ English River First Nation and Resort Subdivision of Lac la Plonge. -With files from Hayatullah Amanat -More details to come…
CTV News
4 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
‘Need more boots on the ground': Saskatchewan calls for more resources to fight wildfires
Volunteer firefighters from Davidson, Sask., load up their truck at the Provincial Wildfire Center in Prince Albert, Sask., Wednesday, June 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) says additional firefighting resources are required as the province battles 51 active wildfires. 'We need more boots on the ground,' vice president of operations for SPSA Steve Roberts said in a media briefing Friday afternoon. 'We have a lot of fire on the landscape, and our crews have been working for over six weeks now, almost non-stop.' Saskatchewan NDP Athabasca MLA Leroy Laliberte is demanding the province immediately seek federal help to fight fires. 'The Sask. Party either doesn't know how to fight these fires or doesn't care,' Laliberte said. 'Either way, the people I've been talking to for a week now aren't getting the resources and relief firefighters they need.' Roberts says they've reached out to federal counterparts and are requesting specific resources, including values protection teams and additional helicopters. He added that the province has already secured permission to use a fire camp from the Department of National Defense if needed, though current camp resources remain sufficient. According to Roberts, international reinforcements have also begun arriving, including 40 firefighters from Australia, 40 from Mexico, and crews from Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. 'Having more resources is definitely a benefit, it allows our staff to get a little bit of reprieve from the stressful, long hours in harsh conditions,' he said. On Friday, eight communities have been partially or fully evacuated, affecting about 1,700 people. The evacuated communities include Canoe Lake/Cole Bay/ Canoe Narrows, Jans Bay, La Plonge Indian Reserve, Montreal Lake Cree Nation, Northern Village of Beauval, Northern Village of Pinehouse, Patuanak/ English River First Nation and Resort Subdivision of Lac la Plonge. According to the SPSA's website, as of Friday afternoon, 11 wildfires are uncontained, including the Muskeg Fire near Beauval and the Buhl Fire at the northern edge of Prince Albert National Park. The Shoe Fire is the largest uncontained wildfire with 539,248.18 hectares burned, followed by Pisew Fire with a current size of 197,263.0 hectares, according to the SPSA. Saskatchewan has seen 378 wildfires this year which is above the five-year average of 289.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Saskatchewan says 1,100 remain out of their homes as 49 fires rage in province
A helicopter at the Provincial Wildfire Centre in Prince Albert, Sask., on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards REGINA — Saskatchewan continues to make headway battling wildfires, but officials say there are still 49 blazes raging, with more starting every day and more than 1,000 people out of their homes. Steve Roberts, with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, says many of the new fires are started by lightning strikes or by negligent campers and others ignoring fire bans. The agency says 1,100 people have been evacuated from pockets of remote communities, most of which are northwest of Saskatoon. The hardest hit area is the village of Beauval, which has forced 700 residents to move, while Parks Canada has warned those in Prince Albert National Park to be ready to go on short notice. The province says it is getting fire help from provinces such as Quebec, as well as international teams from the United States, Australia and Mexico. The fires have also prompted smoke alerts and advisories in the northwest, along with Saskatoon and other points south of the city. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16, 2025. The Canadian Press
CTV News
6 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Sask. community that lost 300 homes to wildfire receives $1.8 million for cleanup
Denare Beach, Sask., is seen from the air in a June 21, 2025, handout photo. Homes destroyed by a recent wildfire are seen in the centre-right. The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency has said 218 personal residences were lost to the blaze in early June. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Will Penner (Mandatory Credit) As many of Saskatchewan's early season wildfires now approach full containment – funds are being distributed to communities devastated by the blazes. Denare Beach, which lost 300 of its 413 homes to the Wolf Fire, will now be receiving $1.8 million for cleanup and 'debris management' efforts. 'The SPSA Recovery Task Team continues to work directly with affected communities to begin the process of clearing debris and to support the safe rebuilding of those communities,' Public Safety Minister Tim McLeod said in his remarks Wednesday. According to Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) vice president Steve Roberts, the Pisew and Wolf Fires are 90 per cent contained, while the Shoe Fire is 75 per cent contained. Other major blazes, such as the Muskeg and Buhl Fires are still uncontained. The Buhl Fire, which has crossed over into Prince Albert National Park, is being managed by both Parks Canada and provincial authorities. 'We are bringing resources in, as mentioned, including from across Canada, across the continental U.S., and from our partners abroad. That is in addition to the 154 type-three firefighters that have been employed to assist us locally,' Roberts explained. As of Wednesday afternoon, there are 49 active wildfires throughout the province – with only seven listed as contained. There are currently eight active evacuations across the north. The number of residents affected by each order differ greatly, with the evacuation of Beauval affecting approximately 700 people – while Lac La Plonge's evacuation affected just five. The current evacuations have led to around 1,100 residents being forced from their homes. Some evacuees in the province hail from Manitoba. According to SPSA President Marlo Pritchard, the majority of the evacuees from Beauval, which was spared from the worst effects of the Muskeg Fire late last week – are currently being supported in hotels – with financial and food supports being rolled out as efficiently as possible. 'All of those individuals have been contacted to ensure that they are safe, staying with family and friends, and those financial, food security checks are being processed based on a priority system and basically triaged based on need,' he explained. 'The $500 [cheques] is really designed for the return of the evacuees to the community to help offset those, those unanticipated costs from being away from home over a number of days or weeks … we will continue to work at that as fast as we can.' A fire ban remains in effect for the area north of Saskatchewan's provincial forest boundary up to the Churchill River.
CTV News
12-07-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
‘Gone around': Beauval, Sask. may be spared from worst of Muskeg wildfire, SPSA says
WATCH: Video from the scene of a wildfire near Beauval, Sask. show flames approaching the local highway. WATCH: Video from the scene of a wildfire near Beauval, Sask. show flames approaching the local highway. The temperature has gone down in Beauval, Saskatchewan since 560 residents were forced from their homes by wildfire Thursday afternoon, but provincial fire officials say the heat is still on. During a press conference on Friday, Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency official Steve Roberts said the shift in winds that brought flames to the community's doorstep from the north was unexpected. Sask. wildfire near Beauval Photo courtesy of Robert Malboeuf, Facebook. 'We monitor the weather consistently, and the long term, for the full day, winds were to be from the west, heading east,' he said. 'A small system passed south of the Beauval area, and because of that pressure change, it actually brought winds down into more of a southeast flow.' Roberts said the weather system passed in about eight hours, and firefighters were able to contain the damage to a vehicle and a canteen building in the recreation grounds on the northern edge of the community. Evacuees sent to the Travelodge in Saskatoon spent Thursday night in disbelief. 'We never thought it would hit Beauval, but it did,' resident Linda Bonneau told CTV News. Tony Alcrow spent much of the last month on vacation before he was told he couldn't go back home. 'It's kind of disappointing. I miss my stuff. Hoping my house doesn't get burned down. I'm just praying day by day that the fires are gone and rain comes by,' he said. 'That fire has completely gone around the town now, and the crews are continuing to mop that up,' he said. Provincial firefighters had taken defensive measures before the fire arrived, says Roberts, including running a sprinkler system around the village, and stationing guards around town with access to heavy equipment. Beauval, Sask. wildfire Flames seen on the outskirts of Beauval, Sask. (Courtesy: Rick Laliberte) At this point, firefighters are tackling hot spots along the fire's path around the village. Tim McLeod, Saskatchewan's public safety minister, said a significant amount of resources and personnel were committed to defend Beauval. 'There has been an incredible number of resources, including emergency personnel, air assets, heavy equipment and value protection assets used to protect the community of Beauval,' he said. 'The bravery and dedication of this work deserves our respect and support.' Roberts said it will be at least a couple of days before anyone the community can be repatriated, and lingering heavy smoke in the area will keep those with health risks away longer still. With no rain in the forecast for the village in the near future — it's too soon to tell when it will be safe to return. Highway 918 — the road in and out of Beauval from the south — is still passable, according to Roberts. Evacuees have been sent to Saskatoon and Moose Jaw, as Roberts said North Battleford was unable to accommodate evacuees for more than one day. As of Friday afternoon, there were 57 wildfires active in the province, according to the SPSA's website. Five are considered contained, 14 are not contained, 21 are subject to ongoing assessments while protecting values are the priority in 17 blazes. Including Beauval, five communities are currently under an evacuation order. Roberts said there are currently 925 evacuees in the province. -With files from Keenan Sorokan, Stacey Hein and David Prisciak
