Evacuation order given for Sask. reserve threatened by wildfire

Wildfire season in Saskatchewan is flaring up with the first evacuation of spring.

A mandatory evacuation order was put into effect Wednesday evening for the Clearwater River Dene Nation (CRDN), located 11 kilometres north of La Loche.

Community officials gave the order after the fire crossed the community’s only highway and health concerns due to heavy smoke.

A command centre has been set up at the CRDN community hall to co-ordinate the evacuation of residents to Lloydminster and Meadow Lake.

People who are evacuating on their own are still asked to sign in at the command centre so CRDN staff can get their information and follow up to ensure they are OK.

As of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, the fire was around 216 hectares in size, roughly 400 football fields.

Despite the efforts by water bombers and helicopters,  the fire continued to grow due to dry conditions in the area.

Wildfires threaten Moosomin and Saulteaux First Nations

On Wednesday, the Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs (BATC) issued an urgent call for fire suppression to fight a fire threatening two of its communities.

“A high severity fire has burned about 7,000 acres and is still burning, posing a significant threat to the Nation of Moosomin,” BATC said.

The neighbouring Saulteaux First Nation is also at risk.

The current hot, dry weather conditions, along with consistent winds, have made suppression efforts challenging.

“We are urging residents to be vigilant and remain alert to any changes in the fire’s behaviour,” BATC said. “An evacuation plan in is place should there be a need to evacuate the residents.”

Residents are encouraged to be prepared and have their medications and clothing ready in case of an evacuation.

The suppression efforts are ongoing, and there is an urgent need for more resources to contain the fire. If anyone wants to help, they are asked to contact Steve Vandall with BATC at 306-980-5773.

Vandall told battlefordsNOW that more fire suppression support and food donations would be appreciated.

“It could be anything – food, volunteering, if they have a volunteer fire department, or if they are a farmer maybe,” he said.

North Battleford’s fire department has crews at the locations working to battle the fires. Volunteer firefighters with the Moosomin First Nation and Saulteaux First Nation, and crews from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) with the province, are also assisting.

According to the province, there are nine fires burning in the province. Only four are considered contained.

— With files from Angela Brown and Logan Lehmann