REGINA – NDP Northern Affairs critic Jordan McPhail is raising concerns about the depletion of the air fleet for the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.
This comes following word Friday that three Bird Dog aircraft were being suspended from service to undergo a comprehensive safety review. The aircraft is the same model as the one that went down in the Northwest Territories in which three people were killed.
In a statement Monday McPhail said the SPSA “made the right decision to ground three aircraft while serious safety concerns are reviewed. The safety of pilots and crews must always come first.”
“But this decision exposes just how depleted Saskatchewan’s wildfire fleet has become,” he said.
McPhail pointed to the NDP’s June 30 news conference in which they revealed that “eight of SPSA’s 17 wildfire-response aircraft were already grounded, including five air tankers and three bird dog aircraft.”
“Now, three additional bird dogs have been paused as temperatures soar and anxiety rises among so many of my constituents in the North,” McPhail said.
“Scott Moe’s government must immediately release an emergency plan explaining what aircraft and backup resources are available, where they will be deployed, and how northern communities will be protected if fires escalate. Northern families cannot be left wondering whether help will arrive if and when they need it most this wildfire season.”
The SPSA said on Friday they still have four Bird Dogs available to support wildfire suppression requirements in the province, and have brought in extra aircraft including another Bird Dog through existing compacts and mutual aid agreements outside the province. The SPSA has said they will bring in additional Bird Dogs if needed.
