Multiple wildfires make for harrowing evacuation routes in Sask.
Road closures affecting residents fleeing northern village of Pelican Narrows
The latest:
- Thousands of people have been forced from their homes due to multiple active wildfires in Saskatchewan.
- Communities under evacuation orders include Pelican Narrows, Creighton, Canoe Lake and Weyakwin.
- Candle Lake has announced a voluntary evacuation.
- As of 4 p.m. CST on Wednesday, there were 19 active wildfires in the province, with nine of them listed as not contained.
The evacuation route out of Pelican Narrows, Sask., has been a harrowing journey for many of those fleeing the wildfire threatening the community.
More than 5,500 members of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation have already been evacuated from communities including Pelican Narrows and Denare Beach. The northern village of Pelican Narrows is about 400 kilometres northeast of Prince Albert, but road closures mean the direct route there and to other large centres isn't always available.
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Russell Ballantyne left Pelican Narrows on Tuesday and said he was told to travel into Manitoba toward The Pas, but when he got to Flin Flon, he was blocked by road closures due to another wildfire.
"So we were blocked that way, and then we tried to turn back … and it was on fire too. So we were blocked the same, both ways," he said.
Finally, around 9 p.m., a road opened and he and his son were able to continue their trip to Prince Albert, arriving early in the morning Wednesday.
Evacuation centres have been set up in Prince Albert and Saskatoon.
Cherish Morin, a resident from Pelican Narrows, left a day earlier and arrived in Saskatoon early Tuesday.
She said packing up and leaving her home behind was difficult.
"I'm very stressed out about the whole situation. Like, very worried, because my grandpa decided to stay back to be security," she said. "I just hope like they can get the fire under control and then we can go home."
People are advised to check the province's Highway Hotline for the latest information in their areas. Some highways are permanently closed, and others have been intermittently closed due to smoke or nearby fires.
Evacuation orders in Creighton, Sask., and Flin Flon, Man.
One of the fires affecting Pelican Lake evacuees started in Creighton, Sask., on Monday and crossed over the border into Manitoba on Tuesday.
On Wednesday afternoon, Creighton issued an evacuation notice. Mayor Bruce Fidler says about 1,200 to 1,500 people are affected. Shortly after, an immediate evacuation order was issued for Flin Flon, Man., a city of about 5,000 people.
Flin Flon Mayor George Fontaine confirmed to CBC News in a Wednesday afternoon phone call that all residents will have to leave by midnight.
Intense fire conditions limited the resources the province was able to send on both sides of the provincial border on Tuesday, officials said.
An aircraft was also grounded due to a drone in the airspace over the fire.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew emphasized that everyone needs to put the good of the community ahead of their own interests.
"Getting some views on YouTube is not worth it. You've got a community, thousands of people who are on the verge of evacuation. And one of the reasons is because we couldn't fly water bombers in the area," he said. "Putting your drone up there and getting a video that you can share is simply not worth it."
Other communities beginning evacuations
On Wednesday, the Resort Village of Candle Lake upgraded its pre-alert evacuation notice into a voluntary evacuation, with the Shoe fire still burning more than 20 kilometres away from the village.
The goal is "to reduce the number of people who will need to leave the resort village within a short period of time if a mandatory evacuation is required."
The village's update also said the province has approved the construction of a firebreak, which residents had requested, and work will begin "immediately."
The Shoe fire destroyed dozens of cabins Tuesday on the shore of East Trout Lake. The fire was also burning about one kilometre away from the west shore of Little Bear Lake, as of Wednesday morning.
Late on Wednesday, the community of Weyakwin, on Highway 2 west of Montreal Lake, issued an evacuation order. Residents are being asked to register at the community hall.
Historic wildfire season: SPSA
Meanwhile, more than 380 people left the northern community of Hall Lake on Monday due to another wildfire.
In northwestern Saskatchewan, leaders in Canoe Lake, about 120 kilometres north of Meadow Lake, decided to evacuate after a fire started very close to the community on Monday. About 500 people went to Cold Lake, Alta., and Lloydminster.
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency reported on Wednesday that the fire near Canoe Lake has been contained.
"We have not seen a fire season with as much impact and activity in the last couple of decades," said Steve Roberts, vice-president of operations for the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), on Tuesday afternoon.
Roberts said almost every single fire so far was caused by humans.
As of 4 p.m. CST on Wednesday, there were 19 active wildfires in the province, with nine of them listed as not contained.
The number of fires this year to date — 205 — is significantly higher than in 2024, when there were 165 during the same period, according to the SPSA.
Up-to-date info on active fires, smoke and related topics is available at these sources:
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With files from Jeremy Warren