The Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Government Relations have issued further fire restrictions for the province, due to extreme wildfire conditions.
Open fires have now also been prohibited for provincial forests on the west side of the commercial forest. The ban is bounded by the Alberta border on the west, and the Clearwater, and Churchill rivers east to Highway 2.
The ban area is bounded by: the Alberta border on the west; the Clearwater and Churchill rivers, east to Highway 2; Highway 2 south to the junction with Highway 916; Highway 916 west to the boundary of Prince Albert National Park (PANP); the northern boundary of PANP; the western boundary of PANP, south to provincial forest boundary; the provincial forest boundary west to the Alberta border.
The national park is not included in the provincial fire ban.
The restriction also includes all provincial parks and recreation sites within the ban area, including: Meadow Lake, Makwa Lake, Steele Narrows, Clearwater River provincial parks, and Bronson Forest and Chitek Lake recreation sites.
All burn notification numbers – issued to those planning to burn in or within 4.5 kilometres of provincial forests – for the ban area are revoked. Fireworks are also prohibited.
CSA-approved propane heating devices and barbecues, pressurized stoves, or charcoal briquettes used in a ministry-approved firebox will be permitted for cooking and heating purposes for the duration of the ban.
The provincial fire ban will stay in place until conditions improve and the Ministry of Environment rescinds the order.
A fire ban in also in place for: the settlements of Bear Creek, Garson Lake, Missinipe and Sled Lake; the resort subdivisons of Keeley Lake, Lac La Plonge, Little Amyot Lake, Michel Point, Napatak, Ramsey Bay, Tower Beach and Wadin Bay; and the subdivisions of Potato Lake, McGibbon Bay (formerly Eagle Point), Nemeiben, Lamp Lake and English Bay.