Saskatchewan’s government says it’s bringing in crews from other provinces and countries to fight raging wildfires, as more people have been forced to flee their homes.
Steve Roberts with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency says firefighters from Australia have arrived to fight a blaze near Beauval, about 400 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon.
He says crews from Mexico, Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are also set to arrive in the coming days.
Roberts says there about 1,700 people in the province who’ve been forced to leave their homes, up from the previous number of 1,100.
He says crews are working hard on the southern edge of the fire near Beauval, which has resulted in a highway closure.
Roberts adds low winds have helped prevent the fire in Prince Albert National Park from spreading quickly.
“When winds are blowing on open fire, they will travel and they will spread quickly,” he told reporters at a virtual news conference Friday.
“To be honest, we need more boots on the ground. We have a lot of fire on the landscape.”
Meanwhile, air quality warnings were in effect Friday for parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba as wildfire smoke lingered over the region.
Environment Canada said the northwestern Saskatchewan community of Buffalo Narrows will see some of the poorest conditions, with the air quality health Index hitting the “very high risk” rating of over 10 throughout Friday and into Saturday.
In northwestern Manitoba, Environment Canada says the Flin Flon area is also under warning, with the index forecasted to drop from high risk to moderate risk by Saturday.
The agency says smoke is expected to cause reduced visibility and poor air quality throughout the rest of the week.
There were 122 active wildfires burning across Manitoba as of Friday, with Saskatchewan reporting 51 active wildfires.
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