The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) can confirm more than 290 structures have been lost in the wildfires. This number could increase to over 400 as damage continues to be assessed.  As of 11 am Thursday there are 23 active wildfires and six not contained.  Saskatchewan has had 258 wildfires, well above the five-year average of 147. Forty-four of those fires have been caused by lightning, with the remaining fires caused by humans. While most human-caused wildfires are accidental, the SPSA believe about 30 of the wildfires were deliberate.  People are encouraged to report individuals who intentionally started a fire to Crimestoppers or the SPSA at 1-855-559-5502.

Human-caused wildfires are categorized as:

-Recreation: a wildfire caused by people or equipment engaged in recreational activities such as fishing, picnicking, hiking or quadding,

-Resident: a wildfire resulting from activities performed by people or machines for agriculture or an accidental fire caused by activity associated with normal living in a forested area,

-Industry: a wildfire that is caused by an industrial activity such as land clearing, harvesting or power distribution, and

-Incendiary: a device used to cause a wildfire for the purpose of mischief, also called arson.

The provincial fire ban remains in effect for the area north of the provincial forest boundary up to the Churchill River, including provincial parks, provincial recreation sites within the boundary, and the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District.

There are currently 34 communities that have repatriation efforts underway. The latest information related to the wildfires can be found by visiting saskpublicsafety.ca.