Sask. fires: Officials seek those responsible for “intentional human acts” of arson

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Saskatchewan officials say they’re seeking those responsible for up to 30 fires that have been intentionally set as the province continues to battle raging wildfires.

Marlo Pritchard, president of the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, said evidence — including from witnesses — suggests many of those fires “were intentional human acts.

“So, could they be considered arson?” he continued during a Friday press conference. “That would require a investigation from the police services, but it was intentional to cause damage, and those files have been passed onto the police to investigate if there is evidence.”

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Officials say 20 active fires are burning, with six not contained. There have been 259 wildfires this season, well above the five-year average of 148.

“We do know that at least two incidents have resulted in arson charges of individuals,” Pritchard added. “We want to hold people accountable for acts of arson. If you are a community member that does hear something or knows something, we would ask that they contact the police of jurisdiction or call Crime Stoppers.”

Premier Scott Moe noted the province is in a stronger position today than they had been in previous days. He said over half of evacuated families are able to or have returned home in the past 24 hours.

“Much of that is due to the effort and the work of our firefighters on the ground, whether they be the wildland firefighters or whether they be the local and municipal firefighters and volunteers from across the province that are in Saskatchewan communities,” Moe said.

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Pritchard added that in Narrow Hills Provincial Park, approximately 13,000 people “have either returned or in the process of returning.”

Despite the positive circumstances, there is still work to be done, Moe added.

“We need to continue to ensure that we’re able to administer $500 in additional evacuation support to families that did have to evacuate their communities,” Moe said. “We are working closely with our municipal leaders, and our chiefs and council in First Nations communities, to ensure that that can be distributed sooner rather than later.”

Eric Schmalz, Saskatchewan’s minister of government relations, announced that they are lifting the ban on ATVs and UTVs, “although the provincial fire ban will remain in place for the designated areas.”

Meanwhile, the Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan is warning residents about scams targeting wildfire evacuees.

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The Canadian Red Cross has issued a fraud alert regarding Manitoba and Saskatchewan wildfires, advising people registering for assistance to not provide their social insurance number or bank information.

The fraudulent messages claim to be from the Canadian Red Cross, and request personal and banking information in order to process payments.

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