Sask. fires could cost hundreds of millions, Greg Poelzer says

The fires in northern Saskatchewan could cost hundreds of millions of dollars with theeconomic impact lasting a few years, according to a professor from the University of Saskatchewan.

"It's going to be a lot larger than people realize," Greg Poelzer told CBC Saskatchewan's Blue Sky.

Poelzer is the Fullbright Arctic Initiative Scholar and is a professor at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the U of S.

He saidthe cost of fighting the fires was huge. Then there was the massive relocation of thousands of residents. There hasalso been a direct impact on different businesses and industries, including a slow-down of the mining sector. He saidcommercial forests have "literally gone up in smoke."

Many businesses rely on tourism dollars in the summer from gas stations to grocery stories to fishing camps so they can provide much-needed services to local residents year-round. But now they have lost a big chunk of change at a critical time.

"I think those small businesses are going to struggle the hardest over the next year or two."

Some of these families, it's going to be hard on them.- Greg Poelzer, U of S professor

Poelzer saidanother area of loss that is hard to measure is the country food economy, like family fish camps and trapping cabins that were lost in the fires.

"Some of these families, it's going to be hard on them."

He saidnutritious food like moose, fish, and berries will have to be replaced by purchased food. Poelzerexplained, in an area where household income is lower, it hasa big impact on families.

However, he saidthe fires also provide some opportunity.

Poelzer saidthere will be reforestation jobs. He hopes the province and communities will also step up forestmanagementandmake broader fire breaks in light of more fires due to climate change.