Sandy Lake First Nation evacuations continue, hundreds have left as major wildfire burns nearby

Hundreds of members of Sandy Lake First Nation have left the remote Oji-Cree community in northwestern Ontario as a major wildfire burns nearby.

The evacuation was ordered on Saturday due to the fire known as Red Lake 12. As of Monday, the fire was more than 156,000 hectares in size and not under control.

"We're all scared that our community might burn down," said Sandy Lake member Dakota Fiddler during a stopover at the Thunder Bay airport. "I'm scared too, because I have family there."

Thunder Bay is acting as a hub for the evacuation, with Sandy Lake members stopping in the city on the way to host cities elsewhere in the province.

The Canadian military is assisting with the evacuations.

Racheal Anishinabie, manager of Sandy Lake's Mamow Weechiwayin Program, said she and her team have been assisting with the evacuations, as well.

"We've actually been helping with Ontario, they're just really short-handed," she said. "So we just pitched in.

"What we've been doing is just a lot of collaborating with them, getting people on and off planes, and also taking them to the university hotels. Some of them have been staying overnight and then they're heading down south to Toronto, Mississauga, Ottawa, Cornwall, all those places."

"We've just been supporting that way," Anishinabie said. "We've been feeding them, getting them coffee, taking them for medical assistance."

Anishinabie said it's important that evacuees get supports from fellow Sandy Lake members.

"A lot of our people have anxiety," she said. "They left our community and they see … a fire right behind the community.

"It's really traumatizing for the kids, the adults, the youth, our elders, because that's our home."

Evacuations continue elsewhere in the region

Red Lake 12 also prompted the evacuation of Deer Lake First Nation last week.

"This fire sort of originated quite close to [Deer Lake], so their protections are a little more advanced in terms of what fire suppression has happened around that community, and the structural protection," said Chris Marchand, fire information officer with Ontario's Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services.

Fire suppression and asset protection are underway at Sandy Lake, he said.

"Crews of FireRangers are working with the Sandy Lake First Nation Fire Department to deploy fire protection, including sprinklers and hose lines that are fed by pumps throughout the community," he said. "And FireRanger crews are busy setting up a consolidated perimeter line on the west side of the community."

Marchand said areas in the northern part of the region haven't seen as much rainfall as the southern parts of northwestern Ontario.

That's a particular concern for Webequie First Nation, which has been evacuated due to the Nipigon 5 fire, Marchand said.

"That fire … continues to see growth, fortunately away from the community, but they really have seen no rainfall over the past few days, whereas most areas within the northwest have," he said. "Crews there in Webequie are working the sides of the fire closest to the community, and protecting structures with sprinkler systems."

Meanwhile, rainfall in the southern parts of northwestern Ontario has helped with dry conditions, Marchand said.

"Still lingering, however, are the drought conditions in the soil that will require a lot more rain to bring it back to a state of normalcy. That moisture deficit in the ground is a concern, as it helps fires to dig in deep and require more time and resources to extinguish, as well as it makes the landscape very receptive to lightning fires."

Despite a low fire hazard, a restricted fire zone remains in effect for the southwestern part of the region, including Thunder Bay.

Smoke form the region's fires have led to air quality statements and warnings for much of the northwest.

As of Monday, air quality warnings were in effect for the Fort Hope, Pickle Lake, Wunnummin Lake and Webequie areas.

Dryden, Vermilion Bay, Ear Falls, Pikangikum, Red Lake, Sachigo Lake, Sandy Lake, Sioux Lookout and surrounding areas, meanwhile, were under special air quality statements.