‘Touchy time of year’: Weather conditions ripen Saskatchewan for wildfires

Most of Saskatchewan is under extreme fire risk as dry conditions continue, prompting new fire bans. Donovan Maess reports.

Hot and dry weather, coupled with high winds, is exposing Saskatchewan to the possibility of wildfires.

Melville Fire and Rescue Chief Aaron Buckingham says the changing conditions put several areas of the province on high alert, even to the point of implementing fire bans.

Buckingham said this was despite the large amount of snow the region experienced.

“There was a pocket here in southeast Saskatchewan that was pretty deep this winter; however, that has gone away pretty quickly,” he told CTV News Wednesday.

“What happens is you get some warmer temperatures, some dry winds and things start to change rapidly. But certainly, if you look at the Saskatchewan Fire Index mapping, the majority of the province is at a high fire risk right now.”

According to Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) modeling, most of the province is under extreme fire risk. Other areas are listed under high fire risk as well.

“This is a touchy time of year,” Chief Buckingham added. “Things are dry; you’ve got all the brown, dead grass before things green up. In the rural fire world, that certainly is a concern.”

Sixteen Sask. rural municipalities and seven urban centres have already implemented local fire bans due to fire risk, as of Wednesday afternoon.

Buckingham described the methodology behind the need for fire bans and the importance they are followed.

“We look for something in the fire world called ‘crossover.’ It’s what happens when the daytime temperature is higher than the relative humidity,” he explained.

“It’s [currently] 27 degrees and the relative humidity is 27 per cent. So if that drops, that’s when things get really dicey where any spark can actually start a fire and get it going.”

Winds also gusted to over 70 kilometres per hour, only adding to the increased fire risk.

“Under those conditions, the landscape could be conducive for the ignition of wildfires,” said Danielle Desjardins, warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

“We do work collaboratively [with the SPSA] to identify when there are extended periods of hot, dry and windy conditions to determine when there are heightened fire risks.”

So far this year, Saskatchewan has skirted a dangerous start to the wildfire season.

As of Wednesday afternoon, crews battled four active blazes in the province – all north of Prince Albert.

The 68 wildfires as of Wednesday afternoon is down significantly from the 208 Saskatchewan had at this time in 2025, and about 40 per cent of the five-year average of 155.

The number grew to 70 as of 5:38 p.m. Wednesday.

Officials say much of the province is in desperate need of rain.

“With temperatures expected to rise to the mid-30s this week, the heat will dry out fuels, making them easier to ignite and allowing fires to spread quickly,” the SPSA said in a statement to CTV News. “Without rain, conditions will only worsen and increase the overall risk.”

Despite the lower-than-average fire numbers in 2026, Chief Buckingham reminded residents to stay vigilant and fire safe.

“Have that tank of water somewhere near your farm,” he suggested. “If you have the ability to do that, always keeping a fire extinguisher handy.”

“Something small turns into something big in the blink of an eye,” Buckingham iterated.

Environment Canada says there could be some rain coming to Saskatchewan soon, but it would likely service the western portion of the province – leaving the east more vulnerable to extreme fire conditions.

Click here for the latest on local fire bans and information.