Sask. Public Safety Agency believes potential for wildfires could be above average this year

The provincial agency responsible for monitoring emergencies across Saskatchewan is asking the public to be careful when starting fires this season.

On Monday, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) said it expects weather in the province will be warmer than average, creating an average to above-average fire season.

Speaking to reporters, SPSA president Marlo Pritchard said that spring can be an especially dangerous time for grass fires and people need to be cautious.

"About half of the wildfires in Saskatchewan in any given year are human-caused, with lightning being the cause for the remainder," said Pritchard.

"At this time of the year, the province typically does not experience lightning, so fires that start this early are often human-caused."

As of Monday, the province had 13 active fires burning across the province. Only one was considered uncontained, and many of them were less than two hectares in size.

Anyone starting a controlled burn in fields or brush piles is asked to check the SPSA website for advice and information on any fire bans in their area.

The agency said cooler weather has led to a slower start to the fire season, but that the potential for fires remains, especially if there is a long stretch of warm, dry, windy weather.

"The concern and the cause of these forest fires is the surface material that died last fall," said Steve Roberts, vice-president operations for SPSA. 

"It is very volatile until you actually get fresh greenery growing up. And that's why these fires that start in the spring spread quickly and again cause threats where they could move enough to get into communities."

The agency said that the potential for grass fires in rural areas remains high in drier areas of Saskatchewan, including in the southwest and areas between Saskatoon and Regina.

The SPSA said its operations staff have been getting ready for this year's forest fire season, with more than 90 per cent of its seasonal staff returning this year.