Murray Wood: Friday's hot or not from superheroes to kickoff
Murray Wood runs down what's hot and what's not this Friday, from 3D Superman punches to Saskatchewan's record-setting s...
MONTRÉAL — Smoke from wildfires in the Canadian Prairies has led to air quality warnings across southern Quebec.
Swiss company IQAir this morning ranked Montreal as having the worst air quality in the world.
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Environment Canada has issued warnings that recommend limiting time spent outdoors.
The effects of wildfire smoke has also affected Saskatchewan this week, with Saskatoon is in the middle of its smokiest season on record.
Environment Canada meteorologist Crawford Luke said the city has already logged 182 hours of smoke this year. That’s the highest number of smoke hours ever recorded by this time of year, with data going all the way back to 1953.
Regina isn’t far behind, tying its record for this time of year with 168 hours, a number last seen in 1995.
Active fires in the province on July 26, 2025. (Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency)
At 9 a.m. on Saturday, Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) reported there were 59 active fires burning in the province.
SPSA said that 12 of those blazes were not contained, while another 22 of the fires were under ongoing assessment and firefighters were protecting values in 18. Seven fires were considered contained.
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.
Twelve communities in Saskatchewan are currently under an evacuation order: Resort Subdivision of Lac La Plonge, La Plonge Reserve, Northern Village of Beauval, Northern Hamlet of Jans Bay, Resort Subdivision of Ramsey Bay, Patuanak/English River First Nation, Montreal Lake Cree Nation, Northern Village of Pinehouse, Canoe Lake Cree First Nation/Canoe Narrows, Île-à-la-Crosse, Resort Subdivision of Cole Bay and Resort Subdivision of Little Amyot Lake.
As well, fire bans are active in 18 urban municipalities, 26 rural municipalities and four provincial parks in the province.
SPSA says there have been 397 fires in Saskatchewan so far in 2025. The five-year average to date for Saskatchewan wildfires is 323.
— with files from 980 CJME’s Jacob Bamhour and CKOM News
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