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A 29-year-old man from La Ronge is facing an arson charge after allegedly starting a major wildfire that led to the evacuation of several communities this summer.
According to the RCMP, the blaze was dubbed the Ditch 2 fire by the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency. Police said the blaze caused damage to structures and triggering the evacuation of Weyakwin.
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In early June, the Ditch 2 fire had grown to over 900 square kilometres, an area nearly four times the size of Saskatoon.
“It was determined the wildfire was human-caused and Waskesiu RCMP began a criminal investigation,” the RCMP said in a statement.
After a police investigation, 29-year-old Jason Halkett was charged with one count of arson with damage to property. He was arrested in Saskatoon by city police officers on Wednesday, the RCMP said.
He appeared in court in Saskatoon on Thursday, police said.
According to the latest data from the public safety agency, there are currently 42 wildfires burning in the province. Saskatchewan has seen 469 fires so far this season, which is ahead of the five-year average of 404 but behind the 542 blazes seen by the same time in 2024.
