The government of Saskatchewan is scrapping a controversial policy that has been used to prioritize forest fires.
Under the policy, the province could let forest fires burn unless they were within 20 kilometres of a community.
Many northerners criticized that policy during last year’s record-setting season of wildfires.
They said once a fire was within 20 kilometres of a community it was too late to stop it.
The change was announced Tuesday by Environment Minister Herb Cox.
“It may, in fact, end up with us attacking, sooner, some fires maybe that we didn’t before. But we’re still going to look at the same criteria, the same flexibility — that our priorities are going to be for human life, for communities and for critical infrastructure,” said Cox at a news conference.
The province is also hiring eight more seasonal firefighting crews in the north and buying some new equipment.
It will put an air tanker and crews in place earlier this year as well, because of the perceived fire risk. Much of northern Saskatchewan has experienced warmer temperatures and below-normal snowfall this winter.
Other changes pledged include:
- review of evacuation processes.
- improved training.
- upgrades to weather stations.
More local hires needed
Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson said she is glad the policy is being scrapped.
“Sometimes some of the fires are outside of the 20 kilometre zone. Maybe it doesn’t look like they’ll threaten the community, but then within a day or two, then they’ll start threatening the community,” Cook-Searson said.
But she said there are still other changes that need to happen.
Her priority is hiring more local workers to help fight the fires.
“We know the land, we know the area and our people want to be home protecting our lands. They want to help fight the forest fire,” she said.
According to Cook-Searson, before the “let it burn” policy came into place, between 2,000 to 5,000 locals used to be hired to fight fires each season.
Last season, however, she said there were only 600 people hired by June, and only half of them were local.
“There were people brought in from different countries that were fighting our forest fires in northern Saskatchewan, when we have the man power and people that are willing to work,” she said.
Serikali ya Saskatchewan imepiga marufuku sera ya kutangaza moto wa misitu Kwa mujibu wa sheria hiyo, mkoa huo unaweza kuruhusu moto wa misitu uingie isipokuwa ikiwa uko umbali wa kilomita 20 kutoka kwa jamii. Wakazi wengi wa kaskazini walishutumu sera hiyo wakati wa msimu wa moto wa mwituni wa mwaka jana. """Mara tu moto ukifika umbali wa kilomita 20 kutoka kwa jamii, ni kuchelewa sana kuuzuia." Mabadiliko hayo yalitangazwa Jumanne na Waziri wa Mazingira Herb Cox. <unk>Ni inaweza, kwa kweli, kuishia na sisi kushambulia, mapema, baadhi ya moto labda kwamba hatukufanya kabla. "Lakini bado tutaangalia vigezo sawa, kubadilika sawa, kwamba vipaumbele vyetu vitakuwa kwa maisha ya binadamu, kwa jamii na kwa miundombinu muhimu, ""Cox alisema katika mkutano wa waandishi wa habari." Mkoa huo pia unaajiri wafanyakazi wengine wanane wa kuzima moto kaskazini na kununua vifaa vipya. Ndege hiyo pia ilitoa ndege ya mafuta na wafanyakazi wake katika eneo hilo mapema mwaka huu, kwa sababu ya hatari ya moto. Sehemu kubwa ya kaskazini mwa Saskatchewan imepata joto la juu na theluji chini ya kawaida msimu huu wa baridi. Mabadiliko mengine yaliyoahidiwa ni pamoja na: - ukaguzi wa taratibu za uhamisho. - kuboresha mafunzo. - kuboresha vituo vya hali ya hewa. Maafisa wa serikali ya India wa eneo la Lac La Ronge, Tammy Cook-Searson, amesema kuwa serikali ya India imepanga kuondoa sheria hiyo. Wakati mwingine moto huwaka nje ya eneo la kilomita 20. Labda haionekani kama watatishia jamii, lakini kisha ndani ya siku moja au mbili, basi wataanza kutishia jamii, "Cook-Searson alisema. Lakini alisema bado kuna mabadiliko mengine ambayo yanahitaji kutokea. Kipaumbele chake ni kuajiri wafanyakazi zaidi wa eneo hilo ili kusaidia kuzima moto huo. <unk>Tunajua ardhi, tunajua eneo hilo na watu wetu wanataka kuwa nyumbani kulinda ardhi zetu. Wanataka kusaidia kupambana na moto wa msitu, "alisema. "Kulingana na Cook-Searson, kabla ya sera ya ""wacha iwe moto"" kuanza, kati ya watu 2,000 hadi 5,000 wa eneo hilo waliajiriwa kupambana na moto kila msimu." Hata hivyo, msimu uliopita, alisema kulikuwa na watu 600 tu waliochaguliwa kufikia Juni, na nusu tu kati yao walikuwa wa ndani. "Watu walioletwa kutoka nchi tofauti ambao walikuwa wakipigana na moto wa misitu yetu kaskazini mwa Saskatchewan, wakati tuna nguvu za watu na watu ambao wako tayari kufanya kazi, "alisema."