Saskatchewan Under Threat: The Rapid Spread of the Lobstick Fire Severe Storm Threat Tonight

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:00]Saskatchewan is on fire, literally, and a mandatory evacuation order is in effect right now as you're watching this video this this morning. The Lobstick fire has exploded to 13,000 hectares, crossed the North Saskatchewan River, and is forcing residents to flee immediately. And here's what makes the situation so incredibly dangerous right now. We are dealing with three major hazards hitting the province at the exact same time. A record-shattering heat wave, active thunderstorms, and an out-of-control wildfire all colliding across central and southern Saskatchewan today and into tomorrow. And on Thursday alone, 23 Saskatchewan communities broke daily temperature records, including Saskatoon hitting 36.1° smashing its own record from 1936.

[00:00:45]All right, let's start with what matters most right now, that evacuation order.

[00:00:49]As of 9:27 this morning, Alert Ready issued a critical level evacuation order for the rural municipality of Shellbrook in north-central Saskatchewan. If you live 1 mile west or 5 miles east of Shellbrook, south of Highway 3 to the RM border, you need to leave right now.

[00:01:05]This fire is fast-moving and heading northwest. Use the oil service road to evacuate and head to the Elks Hall in Shellbrook to register. Registration is mandatory, even if you choose to stay.

[00:01:16]The five affected areas named in the order are Canwood number 494, Duck Lake number 463, Leask number 464, the town of Shellbrook, and Shellbrook number 493. Now, let's talk about the Lobstick fire itself. This fire has behaved extraordinarily aggressively since it was first reported. It was first reported on the afternoon of May 26th that only 5 hectares, with SPSA crews dispatched within 20 minutes of that report. So, by Friday morning, it was 1,300 hectares, and by Friday evening, it had exploded to 13,000 hectares, a 10-times increase in a single day.

[00:01:49]Investigators initially believed the fire was caused by an ATV, but the SPSA has since confirmed it It likely sparked by a lightning strike after crews located a struck tree near the origin point. The fire crossed the North Saskatchewan River east of Bright home on Friday morning and has damaged two buildings. The SPSA has confirmed no residences have been lost. Communities like Lily Plain, MacDowall, Duck Lake, and Beardy's and Okemasis Cree Nation are all within roughly 20 km of the active perimeter, according to Minister Wega. Local forestry operators are warning of up to $25 million in timber losses from the Nisbet Forest and the fire remains uncontained this morning.

[00:02:29]Now, let's look at the full wildfire picture across Saskatchewan. According to the SPSA's official press release at 11:00 a.m. on May 29th, there were six active wildfires in the province, two contained, three not contained, and one under ongoing assessment with 74 total wildfires reported this season so far.

[00:02:47]The province-wide fire ban has been in effect since noon yesterday, May 29th, covering all Crown land south of Highway 55 from the Alberta border to the Manitoba border. The ban prohibits all open fires, controlled burns, fireworks, and ATVs or UTVs in provincial forest with exceptions only for bonafide commercial operators. Now, on top of the provincial ban, roughly 50 rural municipalities and 19 towns and villages have issued their own additional local fire bans. Now, let's talk about the air quality situation because wildfire smoke is affecting a much wider area than the evacuation zone alone. Environment Canada issued an updated air quality advisory at 4:12 this morning covering 14 separate areas across north-central Saskatchewan due to smoke from the Lobstick fire. The affected areas include the city of Prince Albert, the district of Lakeland including Emma Lake and Anglin Lake, and stretching through Duck Lake, Shellbrook, Paddockwood, Candle Lake, and St. Louis. Multiple First Nations communities are inside the advisory zone including Muskoday, Wapeton, Beardy's, Mistawasis, Sturgeon Lake, and One Arrow reserves. Wildfire smoke does not behave predictably. Air quality and visibility can change over short distances and from hour to hour.

[00:04:00]So, even areas on the edge of the advisory zone should stay alert. So, on Highway 11, the main corridor between Saskatoon and Prince Albert, there are already significantly reduced visibility conditions from smoke. So, slow down and drive to conditions if you're on that route today. If you are inside the advisory zone, keep windows and doors closed, use air filtration if available, and wear a properly fitted N95 respirator, not a cloth or surgical mask, if you must go outside. High-risk individuals, anyone 65 and older, pregnant people, infants and young children, and anyone with a chronic health condition should stay indoors and check airhealth.ca for current AQHI values. Now, let's talk about the heat wave because even on its own, this is a historic event for Saskatchewan. The heat is driven by an omega block, a powerful ridge of high pressure locked in the upper atmosphere between two troughs, which has been baking the region for several consecutive days with no relief. Daily temperature records have been falling across the province every single day this week. So, on Tuesday, May 26th, nine communities set new daily records, including Coronach at 35.5°, smashing a record that had stood since 1969. And also on the 26th, Eastend hit 32.4°, breaking a record from 1934. 92 years of history gone. So, on Wednesday, May 27th, eight more communities set daily records, including Lucky Lake at 33.4°, 5.4° above the previous record from 1979.

[00:05:30]And on Thursday, May 28th, 23 communities broke daily records.

[00:05:35]Saskatoon hit 36.1°, beating its own record from 1936, while Nipawin reached 37.5.

[00:05:43]Today, May 30th, Environment Canada's official forecast shows Saskatoon reaching a high of 32° with a humidex of 34. Winds gusting to 50 km/h, still under an active heat warning. Jana's official forecast from Environment Canada is a high of 32° humidex 34 with southeast winds gusting to 60 km/h and a heat warning at orange level in effect.

[00:06:07]Swift Current is forecast around 30 to 31° and Prince Albert, North Battleford, Meadow Lake, and Lloydminster are all under active heat warnings from Environment Canada right now. Saskatoon has activated its level two extreme heat emergency emergency response plan. The first time in the city's history this has ever been activated in the month of May according to emergency management director Pamela Goulden McCloud. Spray pads in Saskatoon are open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. with extended hours until June 1st and Regina has all 18 of its spray pads open from 9:00 a.m.

[00:06:40]to 8:00 p.m. daily. If you have elderly neighbors or family members without air conditioning, check on them today.

[00:06:46]Extreme heat can be life-threatening for people who don't have help reaching cooler spaces. Now, let's talk about the thunderstorm situation because this is what connects the heat, the lightning risk, and the wildfire threat in a really critical way. Weather forecasters describe the pattern as a ring of fire.

[00:07:04]Storms forming along the outer edge of the high pressure ridge where cooler air collides with the heat and creates unstable storm-producing conditions. So, early this morning at 3:46 a.m.

[00:07:14]Environment Canada issued a severe thunderstorm warning for central Saskatchewan tracking a storm near Anaheim and Dafoe producing very heavy rainfall of 50 to 100 mm with flash flooding the primary danger. Tonight, Environment Canada's official forecast shows a 30% chance of showers with a risk of thunderstorms overnight for both Saskatoon and Regina with southeast winds gusting to 50 km/h in Regina. Now, this is critically important. Rain from thunderstorms does not automatically help the wildfire situation because every storm also brings lightning.

[00:07:49]Lightning can start new fires on dry ground even before rainfall reaches it.

[00:07:53]The Lobster fire was itself confirmed by investigators to have been started by lightning, which means any thunderstorm activity tonight or tomorrow is a direct wildfire ignition threat across this province. The SPSA's fire weather index as of Thursday rated most of the southern half of Saskatchewan at extreme fire risk, the highest level on the scale, and conditions have not significantly improved since then.

[00:08:16]Firefighters are also dealing with extreme heat limiting what equipment can safely do. Minister Wager confirmed that dozers had to be temporarily pulled back because near 35° temperatures made it unsafe to operate in key zones. Now, let's look at Sunday, May 31st and the transition coming for Saskatchewan.

[00:08:35]Environment Canada's official 7-day forecast for Saskatoon shows Sunday bringing a high of 29° with a 30% chance of showers and a risk of thunderstorm with winds gusting to 50 km/h. In Regina, the official forecast for Sunday is a high of 29° with a humidex of 31, mainly cloudy, 30% chance of showers and a risk of thunderstorm early in the morning. Going into next week, Environment Canada's forecast shows increasing cloud and shower activity across the province. Saskatoon drops to 24° Monday with 60% chance of showers and further cooling through the week.

[00:09:12]This cooling pattern is welcome news for the heat emergency, but every thunderstorm in the transition period still carries lightning risk and fire conditions remain extreme across much of Saskatchewan. Here is a summary of what you need to know and do right now. If you are in the RM of Shellbrook evacuation order zone south of Highway 3, 1 mile west to 5 miles east of Shellbrook, leave immediately using the oil service road and register at Elks Hall in Shellbrook. If you are in the air quality advisory zone Prince Albert, Lakeland, Duck Lake, Candle Lake and surrounding areas, stay indoors with windows closed, use an N95 outdoors and check airhealth.ca for AQHI values. If you are under the heat warning across Regina, Moose Jaw, Saskatoon, Swift Current, Prince Albert and surrounding areas, drink water constantly, get to air conditioning or a cooling center and check on vulnerable people around you. If you are driving Highway 11 or any road near the Lobstick fire zone, reduce your speed, expect sudden visibility reductions from smoke and do not drive through flooded roads if storms bring heavy rain to your area overnight. Report any wildfire by calling 1-800-676-660 or 911. Report severe weather to SK storm at ecdch.ca or 1-800-239-0484 and for heat or smoke health advice call healthline 811. This is a developing multi-hazard situation across Saskatchewan. The Lobstick fire remains uncontained. The heat warning is still in effect and overnight thunderstorms bring both the chance of relief and the risk of new ignitions. As we will be updating the situation as the conditions develop, please hit like and subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss critical updates as they come in.

[00:10:55]So, our thoughts are with every family in North Central Sascatchewan who has had to leave their home, move their livestock or wait out this fire not knowing what comes next. I'll see you in the next one. Stay safe out there, Saskatchewan.