Northern Saskatchewan residents continue to flee homes due to wildfires

Northern Saskatchewan residents are continuing to flee their homes because of wildfires burning near their communities.

As of Thursday morning there were 24 active fires burning in the province, four of them uncontained, according to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA). There have been 168 wildfires in the province so far this year — about double the five-year average as of this date.

At a news conference on Thursday, SPSA president and fire commissioner Marlo Pritchard said the agency is providing support to 760 evacuees in Lloydminster, 220 in North Battleford and 54 in Regina.

"The support includes food, clothing, shelter and other services as necessary," Pritchard said.

Bryan Chartrand, the SPSA's director of land operations, said the current dry weather and the significant size of the fires will keep evacuees away from home for a while.

"It won't be anytime in the near future, we are looking at least a week plus from now, unless we get a large rain event that is not forecasted right now," Chartrand.

The Meadow Lake Tribal Council is assisting with the evacuation efforts. 

Darryl Wright, the tribal council's emergency response plan co-ordinator, said extended periods of time away from home can be hard on evacuees.

"One day is OK, two days is OK, but after a while you've got your kids, you're enclosed in the space and then you're concerned about what's going on back home," Wright said. "We're trying to get through this challenging time. I think it [does] wear down on people's stress. 

WATCH| Sask. activates its emergency operations centre to beef up its response:

More people forced from their homes as Sask. activates emergency operations

2 years ago

Duration 1:58

Wildfires in northwestern Saskatchewan continue to spread forcing people from their homes. The province activated its emergency operations centre to beef up its response. With highways closed, it's focusing on getting food and fuel into communities and helping those who had to get out.

The SPSA is looking to open up rooms for evacuees in other Saskatchewan cities and towns next week.

"We do anticipate there will be rooms available as we need them, if we do need them," said Joan Hrycyk, SPSA's director of emergency and community support.

Communities evacuated

SPSA isn't supporting all the people who have left their communities. Some have left on their own accord and arranged their own plans, while other evacuation efforts have been coordinated by First Nations and communities.

Shaylee Gardiner, a Buffalo Narrows town councillor, said 535 people have fled the community as of Thursday morning.

According to the Ile-a-la-Crosse Facebook page on Thursday morning, 855 people were on an evacuation list. That includes people who have left by bus or their own vehicles.

On Wednesday, the Buffalo River Dene Nation had 650 registered evacuees in Lloydminster, Sask., where they are set to stay until it is safe to return to the community, according to a news release from Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.

On Tuesday, the English River First Nation moved 157 priority people to North Battleford, Sask., while the Lac La Ronge Indian Band evacuated more than 200 priority individuals to Prince Albert. Both of these evacuations were triggered by smoke in the community.

Additionally the Canoe Lake First Nation evacuated the community, moving people to Alberta.

The Meadow Lake Tribal Council is supporting the Clearwater River Dene Nation with food and water after Clearwater was impacted by a four-day power outage.

Pritchard said the SPSA is looking at a developing process of providing vouchers for people who lost power in Northern Saskatchewan as a result of the wildfires.