Outfitter spends thousands to protect camp from wildfires

By Halyna Mihalik

As forest fires burn around Saskatchewan, an outfitter in the northern part of the province is grateful for the rain, but worries it won’t be enough to protect his camp.

Paull River Wilderness Camp is located just 25 kilometres away from one of the major fires in that area.

“It was so smoky some days you couldn’t even see a quarter mile. You could hardly see across the yard,” said outfitter and camp owner Wayne Galloway.

Galloway said he feels frustrated and helpless because of the fires in the area.

Wanting to do more, and nervous for his camp, Galloway said he’s taken matters into his own hands. He said he spent $10,000 on fire protective equipment, which has been flown to him from Prince Albert.

The equipment includes a pump, sprinklers, poles and 700 feet of fire hose. Galloway said he hopes that with the new equipment he’ll be better prepared to handle fires near his camp.

But in spite of that protection, Galloway expressed that the only way the fires could be really suppressed is with a significant amount of rainfall.

The province has received a bit of rain recently — with some of that falling on the fires — but according to Galloway, it’s going to take way more water to tame the flames in the area.

“The only thing that’s going to solve this whole situation is a major bit of moisture. I know from before, a good solid three to four inches is what it’s going to take,” said Galloway.

Saskatchewan’s spring was unusually dry this year, according to Galloway. He said he’d never seen the province so dry, a fact which makes him even more concerned about possibly having to evacuate his camp.

—With files from 650 CKOM’s Libby Giesbrecht