Rain in the forecast in the coming days will assist in the battle against wildfires in northwest Saskatchewan.
Steve Roberts with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) says a decision will be made in the next day or two on whether to maintain the current fire ban.
A substantial number of people continue to work on the fire line. That includes trained fire crews from Mexico, Australia and other parts of Canada, along with 190 Type Three local firefighters and 300 Armed Forces personnel who have been in Saskatchewan for two weeks. An SPSA request to have the Armed Forces remain for another week has been granted.
Around 3,200 people are currently evacuated from their communities. Of the 13 evacuated communities, three are P1 and P2 evacuees (those with health conditions, the elderly, and those most affected by smoke), with the remaining 10 being on full evacuation status.
Saskatchewan is reporting 87 active wildfires. Of those active fires, five are categorized as contained, 21 are not contained, 45 are ongoing assessments, and 16 are listed as protecting values.