Saskatchewan bracing for fires in dry areas as heat wave looms

Despite record flooding in parts of Saskatchewan, other areas are tinder dry and a weather forecast calling for a heat wave has wildfire managers preparing for action.

"Where there's standing water it isn't an issue but wherever it's dried out, on that dry soil those hazards will increase rapidly," Steve Roberts, executive director of Wildfire Management for Saskatchewan, told CBC News Monday.

The latest forecast has hot weather hitting the province mid-week.

"A couple of days of 25 degree weather [with] 20 to 30 km/hr winds like they get in the south rapidly dries out the grass and hazard increases quite quickly," Roberts noted.

Generally speaking, areas of southwest Saskatchewan are currently facing an increased risk of fires, especially brush or grass fires.

Roberts is advising people to be careful with anything that could cause fires, including campfires and driving an all-terrain vehicle.