A group of teachers from Sandy Bay, Sask., stranded in Prince Albert drove through fire and smoke Saturday to return home and prepare for the school year.
Twenty-five educators from the northeastern Saskatchewan community were in Prince Albert for professional development training when wildfires cut off northern access roads.
READ MORE: Progress made in wildfire fight in northern Sask., but evacuees to stay out
“We felt stranded and helpless in Prince Albert. There was nothing we could do to help our community,” said Sandy Bay Grade 5 teacher Amber Rannelli.
For about seven hours Saturday, she rode in one of 13 or 14 vehicles, navigating rough roads through smoke and flame. Provincial officials approved and participated in the convoy.
Northern Lights School Division officials have pushed back the beginning of school until Thursday, allowing Sandy Bay teachers to prepare their classrooms.
“The students are really bored and they just want to get back to school as well,” Rannelli said.
“They want their life to go on, knowing these fires are happening, but also continuing on with what they are used to.”
More than 2,300 people have registered with Emergency Social Services as three wildfires burn around the community of Pelican Narrows, Sask.
No structures or critical infrastructure are reported to have been destroyed.
READ MORE: Wildfire evacuation expenses may be covered under insurance policy: SGI
There is no timeline in place for evacuees to return to their communities, according to Duane McKay, the province’s commissioner of emergency management and fire safety.
“If we have essential personnel that are required to come back, we have protocol to allow that to occur,” McKay said during a teleconference call Friday.
If the evacuation extends beyond Friday, officials are considering using substitute teachers in Prince Albert and Saskatoon.
There have been 312 wildfires so far this year, compared to the five year average of 444.
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