Man who started Saskatchewan wildfire receives six-year sentence
Man who started Saskatchewan wildfire sentenced
Volunteer firefighters from Davidson, Sask., load up their truck at the Provincial Wildfire Center in Prince Albert, Sask., Wednesday, June 4, 2025.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards
Writer
Oct 09, 2026, 5:23 PM
A Saskatchewan man has been sentenced to six years in prison for sparking a wildfire a year ago in northern Saskatchewan.
Jason Halkett had pleaded guilty to the arson charge in April and was sentenced this week.
The 30-year-old had lit grass and trees on fire in Weyakwin, Sask., northeast of Saskatoon, in May 2025.
The fire eventually spread and became the Ditch 2 wildfire, which damaged structures and forced the evacuation of several northern communities.
The fire also burned more than 2,000 square kilometres of land.
Halkett is to serve his time in a penitentiary.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2026.
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