Sask. wildfires forces closure of 2 campgrounds in Narrow Hills Provincial Park

Jeffery Tram · CBC News

· Posted: May 14, 2025 2:52 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Two fashionable campgrounds successful bluish Saskatchewan volition stay closed for the full 2025 play aft sustaining important harm from wildfires.

Saskatchewan Parks confirmed Tuesday that the Gem Lakes and Lost Echo campgrounds successful Narrow Hills Provincial Park volition not reopen this year. The park, located astir 130 kilometres northeast of Prince Albert, was the tract of an assertive wildfire that grew to astir 15,000 hectares astatine its peak.

"It's inactive precocious risk," said Paul Johnson, adjunct lawman curate with Saskatchewan Parks. "There inactive are fires burning successful and astir the parkland with tons of smoke.… It's inactive a hard concern up and astir Narrow Hills Provincial Park."

While the remainder of the parkland remains closed for now, officials accidental areas extracurricular of the damaged campgrounds whitethorn reopen successful a fewer weeks if conditions improve.

Business owners deed hard

The closure is simply a large stroke to section businesses that trust connected summertime tourism. Shelly Lawrence, who owns Rainbow Lodge connected adjacent Piprell Lake, was forced to permission past Thursday.

"It's already impacted our concern rather a spot with having to cancel anterior to the May agelong weekend," she said.

"It's a immense nonaccomplishment for us."

The Gem Lakes are a fashionable destination successful Narrow Hills. Known for their hiking trails and camping, they pull thousands of visitors each summer.

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency is asking radical to enactment distant from the area, adjacent arsenic the contiguous occurrence hazard decreases. Officials accidental burned trees could autumn without warning and the forest needs clip to recover.

Narrow Hills is 1 of respective regions crossed the state facing wildfire challenges arsenic warm, adust conditions continue. Fire bans stay successful effect successful galore areas.

Lawrence said that while she waits and hopes for a wide solution, she appreciates the enactment being done by firefighters.

"Can't expect immoderate much retired of those workers," Lawrence said. "They're underpaid to hazard their lives."