La Ronge and several nearby communities ordered to evacuate due to wildfires
Evacuation includes dozens of acute care patients, long-term care residents
Fast-moving fires in Saskatchewan's north have led to several communities in the La Ronge area being ordered to evacuate on Monday.
Residents of La Ronge, Air Ronge, the Lac La Ronge reserve and everywhere within a 20-kilometre radius were ordered to evacuate late in the afternoon, after seeing nearby communities get the same direction earlier in the day.
As of 6 p.m. CST Monday, the flames had breached the airport in La Ronge.
People with their own transportation are being asked to drive south on Highway 2 and register at the Days Inn in Prince Albert.
The designated meeting place for evacuees needing assistance is the Jonas Roberts Memorial Community Centre in La Ronge, which is about 340 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.
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Chief Tammy Cook-Searson of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band said earlier Monday that arrangements were being made for buses, and gas for vehicles, and that leaders would work with the Red Cross on accommodations.
The La Ronge evacuation includes dozens of acute care patients and long-term care residents.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) said plans are underway to get the 45 people out of the fire zone as quickly as possible. Some are being airlifted, others will be taken by ground ambulance to Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert.
A doctor in La Ronge told CBC News Monday night that about a dozen ground ambulances were heading north to pick up hospitalized patients. He said planes were having trouble landing at the airport in La Ronge, due to the heavy smoke and nearby fire.
Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency vice-president of operations Steve Roberts said La Ronge residents may have to head west to get out.
"If Highway 2 is compromised and they cannot be guided through, they will actually be moved down until they hit [Highway] 165. They will travel west and then down through Île-à-la-Crosse on that highway," Roberts said.
Denare Beach firefighters under evacuation
East of La Ronge, near the Manitoba border, all essential staff and firefighters in Denare Beach are also evacuating the area.
The northern village posted on Facebook Monday evening saying it's due to the intense wind conditions and the growth of the nearby Wolf fire. The village says safety is now top priority.
Space for evacuees needed
Where more evacuees would end up staying is still up in the air.
About 8,000 people had been evacuated in the province as of mid-Monday.
Roberts said the SPSA and other organizations are trying to identify which cities and towns have hotel space that could accept evacuees — anywhere from Prince Albert to Weyburn to North Battleford to Hudson Bay.
"Basically, we're canvassing every community in Saskatchewan for their capacity and as evacuees come out, they will be directed to areas where they can be housed until they can return home," Roberts said.
He said they have even been looking to Alberta to see if some evacuees could go there.
On Sunday, Montreal Lake Cree Nation declared a pre-evacuation notice for people in Molanosa, a small, isolated community about 150 kilometres north of Prince Albert.
Coun. Carol Naytowhow told CBC on Sunday that the First Nation has been taking in evacuees from Weyakwin, Molanosa and Timber Bay. Naytowhow said they are currently staying in available housing normally used for temporary staff.
There are also two shelters set up with space for 14 and they're preparing to house about 100 people in a gym.
Naytowhow said they are also preparing for the possibility of having to evacuate all 1,500 people on the reserve.
She said a community hall in Shellbrook will take in 400 on cots if needed.
Saskatchewan communities now under evacuation order or pre-evacuation alert:
- Air Ronge
- Brabant Lake
- Candle Lake resort village (voluntary)
- Clam Crossing
- Creighton
- Denare Beach
- East Trout Lake
- Eagle Point
- English Bay
- Foran Mine - McIlveena Bay
- Hall Lake
- Jan Lake
- La Ronge
- Lac La Ronge Indian Reservation
- Lamp Lake
- Little Bear Lake
- Lower Fishing Lake
- Molanosa
- Narrow Hills Provincial Park
- Nemeiben Subdivision
- Pelican Narrows
- Piprell Lake
- Potato Lake
- Rabbit Creek
- Resort Subdivision of Ramsey Bay
- Sikachu
- Sturgeon Landing
- Sucker River
- Timber Bay
- Wadin Bay
- Weyakwin
- Whiteswan/Whelan Bay
As of Monday evening, there were 20 active wildfires in the province, with five considered contained. Air quality warnings are still in effect for much of the north.
Roberts said 163 "values," including houses and cabins, have been lost to the wildfires — double what was reported on Sunday.
The Shoe Fire, currently the largest in the province, has prompted the closure of parts of Highway 165 and evacuation alerts for several communities, including East Trout Lake, Whelan Bay, Narrow Hills and Little Bear Lake.
SaskTel outages
SaskTel Internet, wireless and landline services are currently not available in La Ronge, and all areas directly north and northeast of there.
Creighton, Deschambault Lake, Pelican Narrows and Jan Lake are also affected by this outage.
Services won't be restored until crews can safely fix the outages or when crews can bring generators and fuel to the impacted sites.
SaskTel services have been restored in Brabant Lake, Sucker Lake, Southend, Key Lake, Cigar Lake, Collins Bay, Wollaston Lake, Black Lake, Stony Rapids, Sandy Bay and Fond du Lac.
Up-to-date info on active fires, smoke and related topics is available at these sources:
With files from Alexandre Silberman