Murray Wood: Who's hot and who's not
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look at the big news stories and decides who's hot... and who's not. This week's list ...
As heat and air quality warnings blanketed northern and central part of Saskatchewan on Sunday, there were 80 active fires burning in the province.
Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) said in its 1:30 pm report on Aug. 3 that 15 of those blazes were not contained, while another 44 of the fires were under ongoing assessment and firefighters were protecting values in 16.
Only five fires in the province were considered contained.
Read more:
- Full coverage of Saskatchewan Wildfires in 2025
- Strong shaking in Esterhazy linked to mining and not earthquake
- Torrential rain knocks out power, causes flooding in Swift Current during thunderstorm
Contained means suppression action is taking place and the fire is not expected to grow in size, ongoing assessment means the fire is being monitored regularly to assess risk to values in the area and not contained means suppression action is taking place but the fire is expected to grow in size, according to SPSA. Protecting values means a fire is active and action is focused on protecting things like cabins and infrastructure.
Fire risk in the province on Aug. 3, 2025. (Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency)
As well, fire bans are active in 15 urban municipalities, 20 rural municipalities and four provincial parks in the province, with the fire danger considered high or extreme in northern and western parts of Saskatchewan.
SPSA says there have been 436 fires in Saskatchewan so far in 2025. The five-year average to date for Saskatchewan wildfires is 346.
Parks Canada says 227 personnel, not including additional SPSA support staff, and 12 helicopters are being used to fight the Buhl Fire in and near Prince Albert National Park. (Parks Canada/Facebook)
Buhl and Ditch fires ‘challenging’
Parks Canada said on Sunday that firefighting was “challenging” this week due to smoke and the ongoing warm, dry and windy conditions.
Parks Canada, Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency and the several other supporting agencies from across the country are working together on the Buhl Wildfire response.
A pre-evacuation alert for Prince Albert National Park was reissued on Aug. 1, 2025, due to the Buhl Fire.
Parks Canada said the fire that has “potential to cause emergency situations for the public,” including deteriorating air quality and or visibility due to wildfire smoke.
There is an also evacuation order in effect for the Resort Subdivision of Ramsey Bay and Ramsey Bay Campground, where Parks Canada said ongoing structural protection operations are continuing, with additional crews and volunteer fire departments on-site.
Parks Canada said on Sunday the blaze was approximately .9 km from Ramsey Bay.
It also said the fire was about 12.5 km from Montreal Lake, around 30.6 km from Waskesiu, while also about 31.8 km from Bittern Lake, 34.8 km from Elk Ridge, and 37.9 km from McPhee Lake.
Montreal Lake Cree Nation, Elk Ridge and McPhee Lake do not currently have any alerts or orders in effect.
The Buhl Fire, first reported on June 29, was caused by a lightning strike, Parks Canada said, and on Saturday had burned 12,893 hectares within Prince Albert National Park boundaries as well as 77,210 hectares on provincial Crown land.
They added that 227 personnel not including additional SPSA support staff were involved in firefighting efforts, assisted by 12 helicopters, an infrared scanning drone and 11 pieces of heavy equipment.
It said that to help with the Buhl Fire response, crews were working in strategic areas to bring the fire’s perimeter to natural barriers like lakes or rivers, or to constructed features such as guards.
These barriers help slow fire spread and make it easier for crews to access and manage, Parks Canada added.
It said that by “anchoring” the fire’s edge to these features, crews create safer zones for firefighting operations and improve access for heavy equipment, adding that the strategy not only protects nearby communities and infrastructure but also helps ensure the safety of the people working on the front lines.
Also in its update, Parks Canada said that travellers on Highway 2 north of Waskesiu may see fire activity from the road and visibility may be reduced due to smoke from the Ditch Fire.
They said SPSA fire crews, helicopters, and heavy machinery are working adjacent to the roadway on the Ditch Fire.
Read more:
