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Canadian Armed Forces hit the ground running in Saskatchewan to fight wildfires

Hundreds of Canadian Armed Forces members arrived in Saskatchewan on the weekend and are helping the province fight devastating wildfires in the north. They have been deployed to some of the worst-affected areas.

About 300 troops are helping to relieve firefighters, so they can focus on priority areas

Aishwarya Dudha · CBC News ·
A nightime scene of a forest fire burning next to a lake.
Fire travels towards a treeline at Besnard Lake in La Ronge, Saskatchewan earlier this year. The Canadian military has been called in to help fight wildfires in northern Saskatchewan. (Submitted by Trevor Phenix)

About 300 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members, who arrived in Saskatchewan this weekend, are helping the province fight devastating wildfires in the north. 

The troops were called in to provide relief so firefighters can focus on high priority firefighting, which is classified as type 1 and 2, Lt.-Col. Jason Hudson said, speaking from the armoury in Prince Albert, about 360 kilometres northwest of Regina.

The troops are handling type 3 firefighting duties – which includes work such as mop-ups, digging ditches, and clearing debris in areas where wildfires have been contained or are under control. The 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Light Infantry from Edmonton is leading the mission.

A man in uniform
Lt.-Col. Jason Hudson is co-ordinating the mission involving Canadian Armed Forces deployed in Saskatchewan to help the province fight wildfires. (Submitted by Robert Schwartz)

"We're taking pressure off of a public safety agency so that they can reorient and reprioritize," Hudson said. "We are assisting in the overall effort in protecting those local communities that are being threatened by the fires."

He said about 300 troops have been deployed to four main zones, including the Weyakwin area, the Green Lake area, and La Loche. The central command post is in Prince Albert. 

Hudson said the request for federal help came on July 23, and within hours, a team arrived in Saskatchewan to co-ordinate with the provincial government and Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) to lay the groundwork for the larger deployment. 

"It was actually probably one of the quickest domestic reactions I've ever seen, given the size of the area of operation." 

Having the army in Saskatchewan, allows other Type 1 and Type 2 firefighters to focus on more dangerous fire zones, Hudson said. 

"Defence and safety of Canadians is our priority as CAF members," he said. "Troops are super eager, super energized to help ... folks in need.

"We're here until we're not needed anymore." 

firefighters
Members of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry help with firefighting duties in Saskatchewan. (Submitted by Master Cpl. Cass Moon, Canadian Forces Imagery Technician)

State of wildfires in Saskatchewan

There are 60 active wildfires in the province. Some of the biggest blazes cover more than 1.5 million hectares of land and have forced thousands of people from a dozen communities to evacuate.

Twelve communities were under evacuation orders as of 1:30 p.m. CST. 

There have been 404 wildfires in Saskatchewan to date this year. That compares to the five-year average of 328 for the same time period.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aishwarya Dudha

Reporter

Aishwarya Dudha is a reporter for CBC Saskatchewan based in Saskatoon. She specializes in immigration, justice and cultural issues and elevating voices of vulnerable people. She has previously worked for CBC News Network and Global News. You can email her at aishwarya.dudha@cbc.ca

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