An independent review conducted by accounting firm MNP indicates that the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency was ill-prepared for the worst-ever 2025 wildfire season, which saw 514 wildfires burn 2.9 million hectares of land and evacuate more than 10,000 people.

The report was unveiled on Friday, however the Province had previously indicated that it was to be release well before the start of the 2026 wildfire season.

The review, which was based on public surveys, focus groups, a scan of over 3000 documents, and engagement with impacted communities, explained that the SPSA was not fully prepared for a wildfire season of the scale and complexity seen in 2025, and “Staffing shortages, recruitment challenges, and difficulty retaining both specialized and seasonal personnel further reduced preparedness levels.”

MNP added that, “During response, the scale and concurrence of simultaneous incidents amplified the impacts of unclear roles, uneven application of incident management structures, and inconsistent information flow.”

The firm explained the agency’s Standard Operating Procedure, Provincial Emergency Management Plan, and Incident Command System were not applied or understood consistently and were also difficult for staff to access. “Staff reported that internal policies were outdated, hard to find, or not followed, contributing to operational confusion and inconsistent decision-making during the response.”

Public Safety Minister Michael Weger says it is evident at the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency needs to do better in the future, and he believes it will.

MNP provided 11 actionable recommendations to the province, a few of which include conducting a jurisdictional scan and organizational structure review of the SPSA, establishing a $40,000 FireSmart Grant Program, implementing advanced fire modelling and detection technologies, and establish a new tier of firefighter called Community Reservists.  

“In the North, I’ve found that there are many people living in those communities that definitely have the knowledge of wildfires, so they can work in partnership with the SPSA and their comunity association and be there to give better assistance to their community,” Weger explains.

With these 11 actions in mind, Weger says the first item on the to do list is conduct a host of meetings with the SPSA.    

“More meetings to come, and of course, (our aim is to) set some goals, set some milestones with each of these action items. What can we get done next week, next month, and be ready for next year.”

There is currently no cost estimate or timeline in place for the implementation of the 11 actions, however Weger did indicate that, “there will be some additional, full-time employees required.”

Meanwhile, the Official Opposition says it will work to ensure each of the 11 actions allocated to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency are met over the coming weeks and months. 

NDP Associate Critic for Community Safety Hugh Gordon says the Provincial government does not have a good track record of keeping promises, so follow up is required. He adds that even communication regarding the readiness of the MNP report was cloudy.  

“As late as last week, Scott Moe said himself that report was not ready…Today we found out, during Mr. Weger’s press conference, that the report was ready three weeks ago,” on May 22nd. 

Gordon says if he were the minister of public safety, the leadership of the SPSA would not remain in their positions following their lack of preparedness and coordination.  

A man from Denare Beach joined Gordon in condemning the Province for its lack of preparation and communication.   

Dustin Trumbley lost everything to the Wolf Fire during the 2025 wildfire season, along with over 230 other homeowners.  He admits he is one of only 11 who has since rebuilt, but the emotional trauma has remained.  

“I seen, as we drove in, some of the biggest, toughest miners drop to their knees in tears, and that’s something I can’t forget or unsee.”

Trumbley says the president and vice president of the SPSA, Milo Pritchard and Steve Roberts, should step down following last year’s performance.