Buffalo Pound Provincial Park Now Has Fire Restrictions
Tourism Saskatchewan Photo
If you are thinking about having a fire when you head out to the lake to go camping you are going to have to consider other plans.
Buffalo Pound Provincial Park is now on the list of provincial parks and recreation areas where open fires are no longer allowed.
Self-contained, CSA-approved portable gas heating devices and fire pits, barbecues, pressurized stoves and charcoal briquettes will be permitted for cooking and heating purposes at park discretion for the duration of this ban. The campfire restriction order will stay in place until conditions improve and the restrictions are lifted.
Fire restrictions are in place in the following provincial parks and recreation sites:
Blackstrap Provincial Park
Buffalo Pound Provincial Park
Douglas Provincial Park
Danielson Provincial Park
Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park
Greenwater Lake Provincial Park
Meadow Lake Provincial Park
Makwa Lake Provincial Park
Pike Lake Provincial Park
Porcupine Hills Provincial Park
Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park
Beatty Recreation Site
Beaver Cowan Recreation Site
Besant Recreation Site
Bronson Forest Recreation Site
Coldwell Recreation Site
Cowan Dam Recreation Site
Elbow Harbor Recreation Site
Lovering Lake Recreation Site
Pagan Lake Recreation Site
Steele Narrows Recreation Site
If you see a fire Tourism Saskatchewan asks you call 1-800-667-1788 and report it on the 24 hour hotline and in an emergency call 911.
The fire bans are also now in effect for the Rural Municipality of Moose Jaw and the Municipality of Baildon.
Meanwhile the City of Moose Jaw’s fire ban continues.
Fire Chief Rod Montgomery said the ban will continue for the forseeable future due to the dry and hot conditions.
“We had a very dry month of May and now we are into June,” Chief Montgomery stated, adding “the weather is drying out any type of vegetation…it is a concern for us.”
Despite the fire ban there has been a “couple of incidents where we have attended. But other than a couple of calls where we attended but once asked to the people complied and put the fire out there was no arguing…everybody was complying once they were made aware of the ban,” Chief Montgomery said.
“We are not seeing fires in some of the areas we had concerns about.”
Under the ban in the City of Moose Jaw fire pits, outdoor fireplaces and briquet barbecues are not allowed. People may however use propane or gas barbecues and outdoor heaters during the ban.
The hot and dry weather is also a concern for the Moose Jaw Home Town Fair.
For the fair it is not only about the chance of fire but also the economic impact the hot and dry conditions can have on the event. Farmers and ranchers are less apt to spend money with the weather being so dry.
Asked if the weather conditions could have an effect on the Hometown Fair’s bottom line Moose Jaw Exhibition Company general manager George Fowler said there was the potential if there is no rain and crops and livestock suffer.
“I think so, this would be my theory people are very concerned about how dry it is and we need rain to help people feel confident about spending money. Farmers and ranchers are important to the community. We need rain,” Fowler said.
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