Sask. 2025 wildfire response topped $350M amid severe budgeting flaws: Auditor

She said the agency doesn’t use robust resource plans to prepare its budgets, or include all of the expected costs.

“Actual variable costs related to wildfire response exceeded the agency’s initial budget by more than $70 million in each of the past three years, showing budgets do not reasonably reflect the expected costs of wildfire response,” Clemett said.

She explained that once a season is underway, decision making could lead to spending more than might have been needed to get adequate resources on the ground, adding it also raises the issue of transparency.

“They are receiving their funding later on, but the debates with regards to those additional dollars are occurring, really, after the money has already been spent.”

Provincial auditor Tara Clemett says the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency hasn’t been adequately planning the proper resources ahead of each wildfire season. (Image Credit: Geoff Smith/980 CJME)

Clemett’s report also gives the example of helicopter contracts, saying short-term agreements cost 35 per cent more than long-term contracts, and using one additional long-term contract could have saved the agency around $500,000.

She said even if the agency over-budgets for a wildfire season, the province would have the resources to aid other jurisdictions.

The audit also found a lack of tracking or assessment of contracted resources, saying it took an average of 15 days for people under contract to arrive.

Out of 89 northern communities at higher risk of wildfires, 21 did not yet have a wildfire preparedness plan.

The Opposition NDP said Premier Scott Moe must remove Justice Minister Tim McLeod from cabinet. McLeod was public safety minister at the time of the 2025 wildfires.

“Year after year, the Sask. Party failed to properly fund wildfire response, failed to properly plan and failed to properly prepare,” NDP Leader Carla Beck said in a news release. “At some point, accountability has to mean something.”

The provincial government did not immediately respond to request for a comment.

Call for ‘floating pool’ to reduce reliance on travel nurses

Clemett’s report found the Saskatchewan Health Authority has reduced its reliance on travel nurses following a significant run-up in their use between 2019 and 2024 (from $2.1 million to $98.8 million in spending).

In 2025-26, the audit found monthly average hours worked by travel nurses dropped by 54 per cent from 2023-24. But monthly average overtime hours by nurse employees jumped 26 per cent in 2025 compared to 2023.

“Requiring staff to work more overtime increases the risk of burnout and overtime hours get paid at higher rates,” Clemett’s report said.

“Without sufficiently analyzing the reduced use of travel nurses and the related impacts on nurse employee overtime, workforce management decisions may be made without adequate information,” Clemett told reporters.

She is recommending SHA look at using an internal “float pool” of employee nurses who move around the province as needed.

“We found other provinces like B.C. and Manitoba implemented this alternative staffing model,” Clemett said.

“Having a float pool of nurses could reduce the reliance on travel nurses, while also addressing staffing gaps in a cost-effective manner.”

She explained that in both the case of travel nurses as well as contract firefighters, there are complex needs that can best be filled using contractors but it has to be watched closely.

“These are definitely agencies where you’ve got increased workload in a very short period,” she said. “But I think if you’re using them and you’re not using them well, then you’ve got to rethink that resource management approach.”

Speaking at an event in Regina, Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill said the float pool is an idea the government would be open to, and he’s had conversations with the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses about it.

“There’s more work to do, but by cutting back (on travel nurses) and pushing those resources to the front line, adding those full-time positions, we’ve been able to cut back on contract nursing,” Cockrill said.

“Of course, there’s an overtime counterbalance that comes with that. We have to work on that, too.”

He said he would expect both overtime and travel nurse numbers to come down as more full time nurse positions are added.

by CJME staff

Sask. 2025 wildfire response topped $350M amid severe budgeting flaws: Auditor

Call for ‘floating pool’ to reduce reliance on travel nurses

What's Trending