Canada

REGINA - This year's Saskatchewan budget is sinking deeper into the red, mainly due to the cost of fighting the summer's wildfires.

Finance Minister Jim Reiter, in a midterm update on the budget, says the projected year-end deficit is expected to be $427 million.

It's a major swing from when the budget was introduced in the spring.

At that time, Premier Scott Moe's government was projecting a $12-million surplus, but in August the bottom line was revised to a $349-million deficit before sinking further in the latest update.

Along with forest fire costs, the province is spending more on health care.

Total exports have also fallen by $1.4 billion because of lower oil and gas prices while tariffs from China and the United States have had marginal effects.