From their latest update on Wednesday afternoon, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency says that a fire ban will be issued at 8:00 am on Thursday, July 10, encompassing the area north of the provincial forest boundary, up to the Churchill River.
The ban is being issued due to high fire activity and extreme fire risk.
Open fires, controlled burns and fireworks in the designated boundary will be prohibited when the fire ban is in place. This includes provincial parks, provincial recreation sites, and the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District within the boundary.
ATV/UTV restrictions aren’t included in the ban at this time.
"The extreme heat we have been experiencing means there is a need for everyone to take precautions and use extreme caution outdoors," SPSA Vice-President of Operations Steve Roberts said in a news release. "Please be cautious if you are using ATVs/UTVs and report a fire if you see one."
The SPSA said they recently brought in resources from Quebec to assist battling the wildfires. The two Quebec CL-415 aircraft and 100 wildfire personnel are currently assigned to the DITCH, PISEW, DORE and MUSKEG fires.
As of 3:30 pm on Wednesday, there are 62 active wildfires in the province. Of those fires, seven are categorized as contained, 13 are not contained, 26 are ongoing assessments, and 16 are listed as protecting values.
Four communities remain under evacuation order: Resort Subdivision of Lac La Plonge, La Plonge Reserve, Northern Village of Beauval and Kinoosao.