MOST SUCCESSFUL FOREST FIRE SUPPRESSION SEASON IN 10 YEARS WRAPS UP

Released on November 13, 1996

Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management (SERM) Minister Lorne
Scott today announced the completion of the most successful forest fire
suppression season in 10 years.

This year, 428 forest fires burned only about 14,000 hectares of forest
land, compared to the ten-year seasonal average of 789 forest fires and
461,000 hectares burned. Scott attributed the better season to a
combination of a major reorganization of the province's fire management
program and timely rainfall over much of the northern provincial
forest.

"Despite some high to extreme hazards and difficult fires in June and
July, it is clear the adjustments made to the province's fire
management program this year have had a very beneficial effect on fire
suppression efforts," Scott said.

To achieve the dramatic reduction in response times and fire sizes,
initial attack crews were consolidated into larger crews at fewer
locations and provided with larger helicopters, capable of transporting
crews and all of the equipment required to contain fires under higher
fire hazard conditions. The 1.7 hectare size of fires when initial
attack crews arrived was the smallest in a decade and, as a result,
the total hectares burned was also the lowest since 1986.

Another bright spot for fire managers was a decline in the number of
fires caused by people. At 210 compared to the 10-year average of
478, there were fewer forest fires caused by people than any year in
the previous decade. Scott noted this decrease is attributable, in
part, to ongoing efforts to educate people about the adverse effects of
fire and, in particular, the need for caution with recreational
campfires.

As well, there were 218 lightning fires in 1996, down from the 10-year
average of 314.

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For more information, contact:

A.J.(Gus) MacAuley, Director
SERM
Forest Fire Management Branch
Prince Albert
Phone: (306) 953-3473