As 126 wildfires blaze through Saskatchewan, new aerial images are beginning to show the extent of the damage in the province's north.
From above the Weyakwin area, footage shows charred trees, leading up to a clearing that houses a firefighters' base. The blackened trunks show the path of a blaze that moved through the area recently, burning down parts of the base.
Now that the flames have died down, firefighter Dave Young and his crew have had time to survey the damage.
"We did lose a couple of tents," . "And some walls at the same time."
Despite their own experience, Young said his crew is focused on preventing further damage around the province.
"We look at protecting our communities first, you know. That's paramount. Nobody wants to be displaced or lose anything."
Elsewhere in Saskatchewan, other frontline firefighters are also reflecting on the struggle to contain the fires. As of Tuesday, more than 1,500 firefighters were working in the region, including members of the military.
For firefighter Lyris Bird-Lavalee, working to calm the fires is her passion.
"It's extremely hot, but I love it. I love firefighting," she said. "It gets (stressful), but like I said, firefighting is one of my dreams and I just have to bear with it."
Bird-Lavalee has worked to contain Saskatchewan wildfires for the last 20 years. This summer, her son and her sister have joined in the effort.
Together, they are working to protect the land on which she grew up, and the homes of family and loved ones.
This summer's fires forced about 13,000 Saskatchewan residents to leave their homes earlier this month. On Tuesday, 1,000 evacuees were allowed to return home, and more than 2,600 people went home on Wednesday.
The blazes have already destroyed about 80 residences, though most were seasonal cabins.
Bird-Lavalee said she hopes her fight will help save others from the same fate.
"It would be nice for family to come back home," she said.
Unfortunately, other evacuees may have a long wait before they can return.
Rain is expected to ease the fires in the coming days, but .
In the end, despite Young and Bird-Lavalee's efforts, it might be the province's first snowfall that finally douses the flames.
With files from CTV Regina's Heather Anderson and the Canadian Press
