Watch above: Government of Saskatchewan orders La Ronge, Air Ronge, Lac La Ronge Indian Band evacuated due to wildfires. Amber Rockliffe reports.
LA RONGE, Sask. – The Government of Saskatchewan has ordered general evacuation for La Ronge, AIr Ronge and the Lac La Ronge Indian Band. The immediate evacuation was triggered by a number of wildfires in the area, which are blowing smoke and particulate matter into and around the communities.
Evacuees will be transported to facilities at Cold Lake, Alta.
The government’s wildfire management branch has deployed additional assets to protect local homes and infrastructure from encroaching fires.
Travel to the La Ronge area is restricted while the evacuation is in progress.
READ MORE: Sask. premier says smoke hampering wildfire fighting efforts
Maxine Kahsokeo has family from Montreal Lake. She said they lost two homes over the past few days in a wildfire and it’s been hard to communicate with them.
“I feel sad … it’s kind of hard to keep track of everybody, everybody’s all over … some of them are in Regina.”
The province said six structures have burned down in Montreal Lake over the past few days.
“Yesterday when we were leaving the community we had one four-plex that houses four families burn down and I’m getting word we lost three more houses last night and one trailer,” explained Chief Edward Henderson with the Montreal Lake Cree Nation.
The province said there are about 114 active fires burning in Saskatchewan.
Officials are expecting more than 5,000 evacuees from La Ronge to flee to Alberta.
Brad Wall said members of the Canadian Forces will be on hand to help the Red Cross with evacuations.
The province said the blaze is remaining about 10 kilometres from the communities in the La Ronge area, but has crossed over that mark in some areas.
Amber Rockliffe contributed to this story
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