Candle Lake, Sask. prepares for possible wildfire evacuation

WATCH: Two fires burning out of control in Narrow Hills north of Prince Albert continue to grow with shifting winds making it a challenge for emergency crews.

A pre-evacuation alert was placed over Candle Lake this week while two significant wildfires burn in the Narrow Hills.

The Shoe fire is 16,000 hectares, and the Camp fire is double the size at 32,000 hectares.

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), along with local firefighters, is working to put out the flames.

Fire has already put a dent in May-long business for the Candle Lake Golf Resort, which is up and running this year following a fire in September that destroyed parts of the main buildings.

“Right now, we’re seeing about 30 to 40 per cent of our cancellations for the weekend that were on the books already,” said general manager Erin Ostlund. “We do have emergency plans in place. We’ll make sure to take care of everybody that’s staying here and make sure to alert all the people staying here, and the staff.”

• Get the latest news from Saskatoon, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

With nearby highways closed, the current wind is coming from the north, pushing smoke south — threatening the communities of Smeaten and Choiceland.

Emergency crews are preparing for the winds to switch direction tonight, pushing smoke toward Waskesiu and Candle Lake.

Heading into the long weekend, the SPSA urges people to be mindful of the dry, windy conditions — especially those who are ATVing.

“We’re in pretty dry, extreme conditions,” said Bryan Chartrand from the SPSA. “It doesn’t take much to start a wildfire. So please be very careful whether you’re out ATVing. Don’t drive through really long, dry grass.”

The Candle Lake fire chief says he would rather put out a pre-evacuation notice early than wait for fire to hit the village.

He says while the village wants to make people aware of the danger, the SPSA has managed to get more control of the fire situation since the notice was first shared.

Both of Saskatchewan’s uncontained fires were human-caused.