Sask. premier declares provincial state of emergency
'Unlike anything we have faced in quite some time, if not ever': Premier Scott Moe
The Saskatchewan government has declared a provincewide state of emergency, as wildfires raging across the northern part of the province continue to drive thousands from their homes.
Premier Scott Moe made the announcement Thursday at a news conference in Prince Albert.
"The conditions that our northern residents, communities and wildland firefighters are facing today are as severe or quite likely unlike anything we have faced in quite some time, if not ever," Moe said.
"We do need some rainfall and we need that sooner rather than later. In light of that not being in the forecast, we're certainly putting in place every measure possible to prepare our province and prepare our communities for the days ahead."
The state of emergency will be in effect for 30 days and can be extended as necessary.
The announcement comes after calls for the declaration from people with property in northeast Saskatchewan and the province's Official Opposition. A state of emergency opens up avenues for the province to request additional resources from Ottawa, including personnel, equipment and use of the military.
"Things are going to get worse before they get better and that's why we're declaring a provincial emergency," Moe said.
As of 3 p.m. CST Thursday, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) said there were 17 active wildfires in the province, with only three of them considered contained.
SPSA president Marlo Pritchard said aircraft from Quebec and Alaska are now working in Saskatchewan, and fire crews from Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are on the way.
He also reminded people not to fly drones around active forest fires.
"Stay away from the fires at this time and let first responders do their job," Pritchard said, adding that illegal drone flights can delay or prevent aerial firefighting attacks.
The SPSA is also considering a temporary ban on all-terrain and utility-task vehicles. The agency said some of the active wildfires were caused by ATVs sparking flames in the forest.
"At this point, we would prefer that people aren't out in the forest in the extremely dry, hazardous conditions," Pritchard said.
Moe made a plea to inactive firefighters across the province.
"For individuals who have training and certification in wildland firefighting, we ask that you report to your nearest firebase and identify yourself as available and we're going to try to find a northern community for you to defend," Moe said.
Manitoba called its own state of emergency on Wednesday. Moe said he has spoken with Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew to see how the two provinces can help each other.
Northern First Nations request more help
On Wednesday, the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation and Montreal Lake Cree Nation declared a joint state of emergency. In light of the severity of the wildfire situation, First Nations leaders said in a news release that they have "deep concerns" about critical shortages in firefighting resources, personnel and air support.
The First Nations' declaration demanded direct meetings with Moe, federal ministers and members of Parliament.
Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte of the Prince Albert Grand Council said more firefighting personnel, increased air support and help with accommodations for evacuees are all urgently needed.
"The number one thing we're doing right now is human life — to prevent any deaths out there," Hardlotte told CBC News Network host Heather Hiscox on Thursday morning. "The emergency, it's real dire. And we're calling on the governments to step in — both levels of governments."
Chief Peter A. Beatty of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation said in the news release that many First Nations communities are becoming boxed in due to road closures and limited evacuation routes.
"We are doing everything possible on the ground, but this situation is beyond our capacity to manage alone," Beatty said.
The community of Weyakwin, on Highway 2 west of Montreal Lake, issued an evacuation order late on Wednesday.
Shoe fire grows to more than 300,000 hectares
The Shoe fire, which resulted from the merging of two fires burning north of Prince Albert since early May, is the largest in the province as of Thursday morning.
Jim Arnold, fire chief for the Resort Village of Candle Lake, said on Thursday the fire now covers more than 300,000 hectares, based on the latest briefing he had from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.
"This thing is massive and, you know, it's a Category 6, which is the strongest and most ferocious fire that you can have," he told host Adam Hunter on CBC Radio's The Morning Edition.
Arnold said there have been conflicting reports about how far the fire is from the community, but he's heard it's between 20 and 22 kilometres.
On Wednesday, Candle Lake upgraded its pre-alert evacuation notice into a voluntary evacuation. Arnold said part of the reason is they're expecting a lot of smoke and they want people with medical conditions to have the opportunity to leave "without compromising their health."
They also want to reduce the number of people who would need to leave on short notice, if a mandatory evacuation is required.
East Trout Lake suffers substantial loss
Nathan Pitka is one of many who wanted a provincial state of emergency declared.
The Shoe fire prompted an evacuation order in the Resort Subdivision of East Trout Lake, where his cottage is located.
On Wednesday, East Trout Lake, located approximately 160 kilometres southeast of La Ronge, declared a state of emergency. The SPSA said East Trout Lake has received "substantial loss."
Pitka fled to stay with his parents in Saskatoon on Monday. He told CBC he believes his cabin burned down, but does not yet have confirmation. His family has been going there for 48 years.
Pitka wrote a letter to Moe asking for more communication and for help to be brought in.
"I wrote the letter because no one else was saying what urgently needed to be to be said. I mean, we're watching communities burn in real time," Pitka said.
"It felt like the rest of the province didn't even know this was happening. So I just thought I needed to say something."
When Whiteswan Lake, 130 kilometres northeast of Prince Albert, was evacuated on Monday, Walter Halliday decided to stay behind. The operational manager of Whiteswan Lake Lodge said there's little information available to those from the community about what is happening and what is being done to get the wildfires under control.
As of the end of Wednesday, there were 19 active wildfires burning in Saskatchewan, nine of which were not contained.
According to the SPSA, the province has made requests for crews, equipment and more aircraft. There is already a water bomber from Alaska and two from Quebec working in the province.
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 and CBC Radio's The Morning Edition