‘We want people back’: Sask. mayor says officials working to return evacuees home

WATCH: The mayor of a Sask. town displaced by wildfire calls for patience from residents as they work to prepare the return home.

The mayor of a Saskatchewan town surrounded by an uncontrolled wildfire says officials are working on getting residents home as soon as possible.

As the Wolf fire continues to burn on the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border, Creighton Mayor Bruce Fiddler says firefighters have pushed the flames away from the community and no infrastructure has been lost.

He said that while there is no immediate threat to the town, crews are still working to contain hot spots and flare-ups in the area.

“There is fire activity in the area, very close, but they do knock that down very quickly,” Fiddler said in an interview with CTV News.

A mandatory evacuation order remains in place for Creighton and the nearby community of Denare Beach.

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Fiddler said town officials are focusing on restoring essential services, particularly medical support, before allowing residents to return.

“We’re working very hard on it. We want people back just as badly as they want to come back, but we want to make sure it’s a safe re-entry,” he said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 13 active wildfires in Saskatchewan, including three that are uncontained. The Wolf fire is among those still burning out of control.

On Monday, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency said it hoped to bring the remaining fires under control while weather conditions remain favourable.

Crawford Luke, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said there is a chance of showers and a risk of thunderstorms in the Creighton area Tuesday afternoon. He notes there could be some more rain in the area this weekend.

“As we look to the weekend, there could be some reason to be optimistic in terms of rainfall on the way,” Luke said. “Obviously, it’s getting a bit further out, so the forecast could still change.”

So far this year, there have been 256 wildfires in Saskatchewan — well above the five-year average of 156.