SASKATCHEWAN — The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency is reminding people that highways and roads in the areas impacted by wildfires should be avoided.
Highway closures and partial closures are happening frequently, says Steve Roberts, vice-president of operations with SPSA, and he urges motorists to check with the Highway Hotline before travelling in those areas. The warnings and restrictions are enforced by people at barricades to ensure the public do not put themselves in situations where the roads are unsafe or restricted for emergency crews to use in the event they have to move critical equipment, says Roberts.
“I can’t stress this enough,” he said Monday, “non-essential travel on these roads is not advised.”
The situation is dynamic, he said, and roads that were open in the morning may be closed in the afternoon. He said SPSA is partnering with the Highway Hotline to get information to them as soon as possible.
Emergency support and essential supplies such as food cannot be hampered by non-essential travel, said Roberts.
He noted Highways 913 and 912 were closed due the Lower Fishing Lake fire (25LF-SHOE) and Highway 165 has been impacted as well.
The SHOE fire is one of 16 active fires in the province at this time. It is not contained, and has grown to 407,000 hectares, with a significant increase in the last 24 hours.
