The province of Saskatchewan is still battling fires in the northern half of the province, with a new ban coming into effect to help curb any potentially man-made fires from popping up.
The new fire ban will begin at 8 a.m. on July 10, due to high fire activity and extreme fire risk, encompassing the area north of the provincial forest boundary, up to the Churchill River.
The new ban will prohibit any open fires, controlled burns and fireworks in the designated boundary. This includes provincial parks, provincial recreation sites and the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District within the boundary. At this time, the ban does not include ATV/UTV restrictions.
"The extreme heat we have been experiencing means there is a need for everyone to take precautions and use extreme caution outdoors," said SPSA Vice-President of Operations Steve Roberts. "Please be cautious if you are using ATVs/UTVs and report a fire if you see one."
On a smaller scale, the SPSA encourages municipalities, rural municipalities and communities to see if fire bans are needed in their areas to prevent unwanted human-caused wildfires.
A list of fire bans and restrictions in provincial parks and recreation sites can be found on Saskpark's website here.
The province also put out updates on the current wildfires they are fighting, with assets being brought in from Quebec to assist with wildfire efforts. The two Quebec CL-415 aircraft and 100 wildfire personnel are currently assigned to the DITCH, PISEW, DORE and MUSKEG fires.
As of 11:00 a.m., there are 65 active wildfires in Saskatchewan. Of those active fires, seven are categorized as contained, 13 are not contained, 29 are ongoing assessment and 16 are listed as protecting values.
Four communities remain under an evacuation order: Resort Subdivision of Lac La Plonge, La Plonge Reserve, Northern Village of Beauval and Kinoosao.