Wall cancels northern Sask. fire tour due to smoke issues

What was supposed to be a day of assessment and surveying went up in smoke as Brad Wall was forced to cancel a north Saskatchewan aerial tour due to smoke visibility problems.

Thick, smoky conditions remained, preventing the premier's as well as fire and rescue planes from flying all day Tuesday.

"This is a province-wide issue, obviously the smoke has made it that, but in terms of the north we have a number of very serious fires in the centre north," Wall said.

The day's original plan had the Premier travelingwith government relations minister Jim Reiter, environment minister Herb Cox and Duane McKay, directorof Emergency Management and Fire Safety.

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The group was set to travel toLa Ronge, to meet with local officials andemergency crews, including La Rongemayor Mayor Thomas Sierzycki andChief TammyCook-Searson of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band.

Theaerial tour to survey the fire zone was scheduled thereafter, departing from theNorthern Air Operations (NAO) at theLaRongeAirport.

Sask. fires force hundreds from homes

9 years ago

Duration 1:45

Over 1,300 moved to other communities

As of Tuesday morningthere were 115 wildfires burning in the province, 40 of them uncontained. Evacuees from northern communities are still being moved to shelters in Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Regina.