Some southern Saskatchewan residents moved earlier this week from worrying about floods to worrying about fires.
Several communities are still dealing with high water levels because of localized flooding in areas of poor drainage, but the entire southern half of the province was considered at extreme fire risk May 13.
At the same time, fires burning out of control in Alberta forced hundreds from their homes in two counties south and west of Edmonton.
The Lodgepole fire in Brazeau County near Drayton Valley was still burning out of control May 13 and some residents had received one-hour evacuation notices.
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South of there, in Clearwater County, an immediate evacuation was issued May 12 for the hamlet of Nordegg and surrounding area. Residents were directed to Rocky Mountain House to register.
Much of southern Alberta was under a fire ban, but no provincial bans had yet been issued in Saskatchewan. Local municipalities could issue them if necessary.
Steve Roberts, Saskatchewan’s wildfire management director, said the forecast for winds of 100 km-h put the province at risk for fires that can develop rapidly. Officials in both provinces were keeping an eye on the immediate forecast, which they hoped would bring rain.
“This time of year, fire hazard is primarily driven by fine fuels like grass and high winds,” Roberts said.
“In the northern part of the province, we’re not talking about them burning heavy in the ground and lasting for days, but they’re very quick moving fires, they’re very flashy.”
The north was considered at high risk May 13. The dividing line is the forest fringe area from North Battleford through Prince Albert and Hudson Bay. Ten fires were burning along that line, but none were out of control. No communities were threatened and none of the fires was bigger than 250 acres.
There have been 64 fires this year, on par with last year, even as municipalities dealt with high runoff levels.
Patrick Boyle, spokesperson for the Water Security Agency, said southwestern Saskatchewan saw an early, quick runoff with no flooding, which means the area is considerably drier than other parts of the province.
Emergency management commissioner Duane McKay said small fires can quickly become significant prairie fires when temperatures are higher than the relative humidity, as they were for several days.
“We have stationed a wildfire management crew and a hot shot crew down in the Swift Current area and we are supporting any responses down in that particular area,” he said.
His staff is also supporting the seven rural municipalities, one village and seven First Nations still under declared states of emergency from flooding. The RMs include Prince Albert, Corman Park, Humboldt, Rosthern, Fish Creek, Meeting Lake and Great Bend.
Boyle said the Raduga Creek near Blaine Lake will remain high for several weeks, affecting farmland and rural roads.
McKay said that area, and the Wakaw region, have seen significant road damage, isolating some people and resulting in long detours.
Forty-two people were still out of their homes May 13 and receiving assistance, including a family of three from the RM of Kinistino, two families of three in the town of Aberdeen and one person in the RM of Fish Creek. McKay also said five other people from Fish Creek had self-evacuated.
