Smoke from wildfires prompt evacuations in Saskatchewan

Monday, June 8, 2015, 8:15 PM - Smoke from wildfires have forced more than 700 people from their homes across northern Saskatchewan.

Many of the evacuees are staying with friends and family in Prince Albert or Saskatoon, a Social Services spokesperson says.

The largest fire is south of La Loche and fire crews have yet to contain it.

There are about dour dozen active blazes in the area. One-third of the fires started by lightning over the weekend have been contained.

It's been an active wildfire season in Saskatchewan.

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So far, the province has seen 334 fires so far this year, compared with 152 at this time last year.

"The whole Prairie region has been dry over the last two months," Trevor Hadwen, an agroclimate specialist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, tells The Weather Network.

"Lack of snowfall this past winter and an early spring and warm conditions very early took away all the moisture that the snow would normally provide."

FIRE RISK REMAINS HIGH IN PARTS OF ALBERTA

While recent rain has brought some relief to the fire situation in the Slave Lake area, the wildfire hazard remains very high for areas south of Lesser Slave Lake and moderate to low for areas to the north, due to the chance for additional showers in the area Tuesday.

One new wildfire sparked Sunday night, but officials were able to quickly extinguish it.

So far, there have been 98 wildfires in the province that have burned through 1,184.26 hectares.

Sources: The Weather Network | CKRM | Slave Lake Wildfire Management