Hundreds from Sandy Lake evacuate to GTA amid blazing wildfires

CBC

a day ago

Hundreds of Sandy Lake First Nation members have arrived in the Greater Toronto Area to seek refuge as a major wildfire burns near the northwestern Ontario community.
Sandy Lake officials issued an evacuation order Saturday after the fire, known as Red Lake 12, was spotted moving northward toward the community.
As evacuees continue to be relocated to other parts of Ontario, many are being sent to Mississauga and Toronto.
Destiny Rae and her family arrived in Mississauga on Sunday after receiving the evacuation notice.
"It was a very scary feeling," she told CBC News Tuesday.
"I stepped out of my house and to the left it was blue skies, but surrounded by orange clouds, and then to the right, you could see the fire," said Rae. "To know that it was so close, it was very scary."
The fire, which was first reported on May 28, is burning about 6.5 kilometres from the Sandy Lake First Nation community, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources.
In an email Tuesday, ministry spokesperson Alison Lake said the fire grew to roughly 158,000 hectares in size last week and remains out of control, but "the fire has experienced minimal growth" since rain showers, fog and high humidity set in Sunday.
The Canadian Armed Forces said in an update Tuesday that a CC-130 Hercules aircraft has been airlifting people out of the First Nation, and more than 1,400 people had been evacuated as of 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
Rae said she felt sad looking out the military aircraft's small window.
"I remember thinking, 'This is my home. This is where I live,'" she said.
"I hope when I come back, I want everything to be where it is."
Indigenous emergency operations organization, ISN Maskwa, is helping the Sandy Lake evacuees in the GTA.
Director of operations Paul Syrette told CBC News on Tuesday that about 370 evacuees have been brought to the area.
He said the organization receives the evacuees at the airport, transports them to their hotels, and provides them with food services.
"We make them comfortable," said Syrette. "They've come from a situation and a fire in their communities where they didn't have much time to gather up some things and pack up."
Canadian military assisting in wildfire evacuations
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Sunday that Canadian Armed Forces troops would help evacuate Sandy Lake. He said Ontario had made a request for federal assistance "in response to rapidly spreading wildfires" in that part of the province.
In a statement Monday, Emergency Preparedness and Response Minister Jill Dunlop said all evacuees will be provided comprehensive wraparound services, including health care, education supports, and social services.
"Our government will continue to work in co-ordination with the federal government, Indigenous leadership, and the Canadian Armed Forces to ensure safe evacuations for the residents of Sandy Lake First Nation," she said.
Dunlop said most evacuees are being hosted in Kapuskasing, Mississauga, Toronto, Niagara, and Cornwall.
Meanwhile, FireRanger crews are working with the Sandy Lake First Nation Fire Department to deploy fire protection, including sprinklers and hose lines, fed by pumps throughout the community, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Helicopters have been applying aerial suppression when conditions allow, with helicopters and buckets supporting FireRanger crews on the ground, said spokesperson Alison Lake.
The Sandy Lake community said in Sunday's update that it was under a phase-one evacuation, focusing on its most vulnerable residents and their families.
The next step could be to continue with older children and their families, although many have left, the update says.
It's unclear how many residents are still in the community of more than 2,000 people.