REGINA – Fifty-one communities in northern Saskatchewan have now been evacuated due to more than 100 wild fires burning in the northern part of the province.
Over 5,000 evacuees from those communities are currently receiving assistance in Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert and North Battleford.
Emergency response has become a dual operation: attending to the needs of evacuees while still fighting to put out the raging wild fires.
116 active wild fires have still not been contained, but for the most part it’s thick smoke forcing evacuations.
“Up north, it’s causing issues related to health for some individuals,” said Duane McKay, Saskatchewan’s emergency management and fire safety commissioner.
A group of teenagers arrived in Regina Wednesday evening without other members of their family.
“Most of them are actually from isolated communities and this is actually kind of a culture shock to them. You know they’re worried about their homes a lot of them,” explained Elder Mike Pinay from Peepeekisis First Nation, who is helping with pipe ceremonies and sweats everyday and Evraz Place.
Already more than 1,500 people are staying in the Queen City. More than 1,200 evacuees are being hosted in Saskatoon.
“We might be here for four more days yet,” said Gerald Ballantyne from Little Red Reserve near Montreal Lake. “We’re prepared to even stay longer because the fires, we’re getting word more and more are popping up, they’re flaring back up again.”
One of the biggest fires is close to the town of La Ronge. It’s about 50-thousand hectares.
“For us, because the fire hasn’t grown, and the smoke cap has actually assisted us, we’re okay with that, but the professionals are definitely very frustrated and I’m hoping that they catch a break here very soon,” said Thomas Sierzycki, La Ronge mayor.
Though frustrated, officials are still hopeful.
“At this time with all the action we have taken on it we feel reasonably confident that we’ll be able to hold it,” said Daryl Jessop, the province’s wildfire support services director.
So far there have been no serious injuries or medical emergencies as a result of the wildfires.
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