Active wildfires in Saskatchewan surpass 25, heart of La Ronge ordered out

Residents evacuated from the La Ronge area on Monday made a harrowing journey south through another major wildfire, the Ditch fire, that has burned across Saskatchewan Highway 2, a major north-south route. (Source: Facebook / Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race)

Wildfires are continuing to grow in northern Saskatchewan as evacuation alerts have been issued for residents in La Ronge.

At 5 a.m. Friday, the province issued a public alert ordering residents of La Ronge and Eagle Point to evacuate as wildfire breached the town’s industrial park in the northeast.

Just prior to 2 p.m. Thursday, mandatory evacuations were issued for the Napatak and Potato Lake subdivisions — located south of La Ronge. Residents in those areas were instructed to proceed north to the JRMCC Centre in La Ronge.

“Highway 2 south is closed. Do not travel south,” the alert read.

The alert was issued during the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency’s (SPSA) daily wildfire update.

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Just after 3 p.m. Thursday, the Lac La Ronge Indian Band issued a mandatory evacuation for Sikachu Lake and Clam Bridge — located west of La Ronge.

“Individuals in the area must evacuate immediately to a safe location away from the fire or to the Hall Lake Culture Centre,” the alert read.

Vice President Steve Roberts told reporters that the residents in those areas were already included in a prior alert and were ready to move.

“They knew that there was a potential for evacuation, and some of that can be by smoke, by access,” he explained. “The good news is that we have been able, for the last three, four days, successfully manage the access down the Highway 2 corridor and have had no significant disruptions.”

The overall wildfire picture remained unchanged Thursday – fires are continuing to grow, and the hot, windy weather is offering no relief.

“As we’ve said earlier, rain will be a big turning point for these fires but until then, we’re dug in doing the best we can to protect people and values in Saskatchewan,” Roberts added.

Active wildfires in Saskatchewan total 27 as of Thursday afternoon – with the SPSA estimating that around 900,000 hectares have been affected by wildfires so far this year.

Military assistance

Despite ongoing calls from the Saskatchewan NDP, Premier Scott Moe and officials from the SPSA have maintained that military assistance is not required as the province grapples with this especially harsh wildfire season.

In a statement published Thursday, the province reiterated that the armed forces possessed specific capabilities to support its response — including aerial support for evacuations.

“Currently, Saskatchewan’s greatest areas of need are for water bombers and firefighting resources, which the military is not able to provide,” the statement read.

The province says it’s in daily contact with Public Safety Canada to determine what resources may be required.

To bolster RCMP efforts in the north, nine Saskatchewan Marshals and two inspectors are patrolling evacuated communities to deter looting.

By the numbers

The Shoe Fire remains the largest blaze in the province — covering 471,000 hectares. The fire is responsible for closing down Highways 912, 913 and 165.

The JaySmith Fire was far less active Thursday. It’s currently mapped to 136,00 hectares — up from 33,000 hectares on May 29.

Roberts noted the fire is impacting Highway 2, as it is burning on both sides of the important north-south route.

The same can be said for the Ditch02 Fire. Currently estimated to be 90,000 hectares, the blaze has impacted Highway 2 and closed Highway 969.

The Pisew Fire, which has impacted the north of La Ronge, continues to burn — with the SPSA estimating it’s grown to 141,000 hectares.

The Wolf Fire, which is responsible for damages in Denare Beach, is estimated to have grown to 130,000 hectares.

The Pelican2 Fire, in the vicinity Pelican Narrows, is reported to be 34,000 hectares and is responsible for the closures of Highway 135 and 106.

The Club Fire, near Creighton and Flin Flon is still primarily being managed by Manitoba fire crews. The fire totals around 60,000 hectares — with 17,000 hectares on the Saskatchewan side of the border.