Some of the aftermath of the northern fires during the summer. Photo courtesy Thomas Sierzycki, @TSierzycki on Twitter
Northern fire protection will be a hot topic at the upcoming Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association conference at the end of the month.
The Town of Air Ronge will call upon SUMA to lobby the province to build and maintain adequate fire guards around northern communities.
Mayor Gordon Stomp says he’s met and written letters to government officials about the issue.
“We’re also asking the government to have some kind of interface support for fires that come into the community,” says Stomp. “Also fires that could begin in the community that are boreal forest areas.”
He says the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program should pay the cost of these kinds of fires.
Stomp says fire guards won’t protect the community completely but it’s a base to work from when fighting fires.
During the summer, Stomp was one of many who lost buildings to the flames. His fishing camp – consisting of two cabins, a storage shed and equipment – were destroyed by the blaze east of La Ronge at Pickerel Bay.