‘We need to do better’: Saskatchewan premier comments on wildfire report

An independent review of the provincial response to the fires confirms what Denare Beach residents have been saying all along: they were caught unprepared.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says the province must do better after a report identified shortcomings in last year’s wildfire response.

The independent report, prepared by MNP, found the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) was not fully prepared for last year’s record-breaking wildfire season.

More than 10,000 people were forced from their homes during the 2025 wildfire season, which burned nearly three million hectares across Saskatchewan.

The report found SPSA staff were often unclear about their roles and responsibilities, creating confusion around authority and decision-making.

“We need to do better as a Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, and we need to do better as a government, supporting the work that they do,” Moe said from Paris, where he is on a trade mission.

• Sask. Ombudsman saw record requests in 2025, calls for improved wildfire evacuee response

The Saskatchewan NDP is calling on Moe to apologize.

“No one was steering the ship while the north burned,” NDP MLA Jordan McPhail said.

“The people of the north are waiting for an apology, they’re waiting for accountability.”

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Karen Thomson, the deputy mayor of Denare Beach, remembers confusion and a lack of decision-making as the Wolf fire destroyed more than 200 homes in her community.

“No one seemed to have a firm grasp on the events that were unfolding ... There didn’t seem to be that sense of urgency,” Thomson told CTV News.

She said the report’s findings are validating and gives her hope emergency responses will improve in the future.

“The general sense that I’m getting with the residents is, yes, someone heard us and someone understands us,” Thomspon said.

The report makes 11 recommendations, including stronger communication between government agencies and improved wildfire forecasting.

The SPSA said the evacuee registration process has been upgraded after the report identified flaws with the emergency coordination.

The report noted the province was still relying on “outdated, paper-based registration processes that quickly collapsed under the high volumes of evacuees, leading to backlogs, duplicate files and data accuracy issues.”

The government said it accepts the findings and is moving quickly to implement all the recommendations.