Canadian Armed Forces hit the ground running in Sask. to fight wildfires
About 300 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members, who arrived in Saskatchewan this weekend, are helping the province fight devastating wildfires in the north.
The troops were called in to provide relief so firefighters can focus on high priority firefighting, which is classified as type 1 and 2, Lt.-Col. Jason Hudson said, speaking from the armoury in Prince Albert, about 360 kilometres northwest of Regina.
The troops are handling type 3 firefighting duties – which includes work such as mop-ups, digging ditches, and clearing debris in areas where wildfires have been contained or are under control. The 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia's Light Infantry from Edmonton is leading the mission.
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"We're taking pressure off of a public safety agency so that they can reorient and reprioritize," Hudson said. "We are assisting in the overall effort in protecting those local communities that are being threatened by the fires."
Members of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry help with firefighting duties in Saskatchewan. (Submitted by Master Cpl. Cass Moon, Canadian Forces Imagery Technician)
He said about 300 troops have been deployed to four main zones, including the Weyakwin area, the Green Lake area, and La Loche. The central command post is in Prince Albert.
Hudson said the request for federal help came on July 23, and within hours, a team arrived in Saskatchewan to co-ordinate with the provincial government and Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) to lay the groundwork for the larger deployment.
"It was actually probably one of the quickest domestic reactions I've ever seen, given the size of the area of operation."
Having the army in Saskatchewan, allows other Type 1 and Type 2 firefighters to focus on more dangerous fire zones, Hudson said.
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"Defence and safety of Canadians is our priority as CAF members," he said. "Troops are super eager, super energized to help ... folks in need.
"We're here until we're not needed anymore."
State of wildfires in Saskatchewan
There are 60 active wildfires in the province. Some of the biggest blazes cover more than 1.5 million hectares of land and have forced thousands of people from a dozen communities to evacuate.
Twelve communities were under evacuation orders as of 1:30 p.m. CST.
There have been 404 wildfires in Saskatchewan to date this year. That compares to the five-year average of 328 for the same time period.
This article, written by Aishwarya Dudha, was originally published for CBC News on July 28, 2025.
Thumbnail image credit to Trevor Phenix via CBC News.