Wildfires prompt more evacuations in northern Saskatchewan

Fire officials in northern Saskatchewan are appealing to residents to stay away from evacuated communities as a state of emergency continues in the province. In an update Thursday, they said the Lac La Ronge region remains under a mandatory evacuation order as wildfires continue to threaten communities and the situation remains dangerous. “The fire is moving toward the communities of Sikachu Lake and Clam Bridge. Local essential staff did go knock on the doors to inform the community members of the fire,” read a 3:04 p.m. Facebook post by Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB) Chief Tammy Cook-Searson as she issued a mandatory evacuation order. Sikachu Lake and Clam Bridge are within the LLRIB’s territory. “The wildfire is moving quickly and individuals in the area must evacuate immediately to a safe location away from the fire or to the Hall Lake Community Centre,” the chief said. One hour earlier, evacuation orders were issued for the Napatak Subdivision and the Potato Lake Subdivision in the town of La Ronge. “Highway 2 south is closed. Do not travel south,” an emergency alert advised. The region is also contending with power outages from the fires. There has been no power or communication service in Stanley Mission, Sucker River, Grandmother’s Bay, Missinipe, and all rural areas north of La Ronge since Monday, June 2, according to an update from SaskPower. “SaskPower has begun conducting district patrols to assess and map the extent of the damage,” the update said. “Crews are on the ground and will proceed with repairs and power restoration as soon as conditions allow.” Meanwhile, the Town of La Ronge put out a news release reminding people to stay out of the area. “Only registered emergency and essential personnel are permitted to travel into the region at this time,” said a statement from the Town of La Ronge Chief Administrative Officer Lyle Hannan. “Water pressure, water volumes, security, public safety, food, accommodation, medical, and other resources can only sustain the needs of essential personnel and their activities,” Hannan said. “If persons are caught compromising these resources, creating security issues, or disregarding the direction of officials, the local authorities will, and have, exercised their powers to detain persons and/or their property during this emergency.” The update from Hannan goes on to say that “personnel are now actively turning off private sprinklers to allow the system to keep up with firefighting demands on the water supply.” As wildfires continue to ravage the north and keep thousands out of their homes, the Opposition NDP is calling on Premier Scott Moe to ask for help from the military. NDP Leader Carla Beck, in a letter to Moe Thursday, questioned what the premier was waiting for. “Every available resource in our country must be deployed to fight these fires. We cannot afford to leave help on the table,” Beck wrote. “I still remember the wildfires of 2015 and then-premier Brad Wall’s decision to bring in the military and call for a coordinated national response.” Moe has not ruled out asking for federal aid but has said Saskatchewan does not need Ottawa’s assistance. Provincial fire officials say the abilities of federal firefighters are limited and usually only brought in to battle blazes that are contained. Saskatchewan is currently receiving firefighter assistance from other provinces and the United States. More than 30,000 people in Saskatchewan and Manitoba have been forced to flee their homes ahead of scores of wildfires in recent days. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has already asked for, and is receiving, help from Canada’s military. Smoke from the fires has drifted as far east as Newfoundland and Labrador and as far south as Florida in recent days, prompting health warnings in some regions. With files from The Canadian Press Continue Reading