Half of Saskatchewan residents who were forced to flee wildfires can return home this week

Globe and Mail

a day ago

Nearly half of the people forced from their homes by wildfires in Saskatchewan will be allowed to return later this week with conditions slightly improving in the province, but thousands remain displaced across large parts of Canada.
Premier Scott Moe said around 7,000 people in the north-central Saskatchewan region around Lac La Ronge will see evacuation orders lifted Thursday. Still, he cautioned, his government is maintaining a provincewide state of emergency until further notice.
'Fortunately, we are in a little bit better situation with some weather changes,' Mr. Moe told reporters in Saskatoon. 'But there's numerous communities in the province that will continue to be evacuated.'
More than 225 wildfires are active across the country, at least 100 of which were deemed out of control as of late Wednesday.
Over the past month, Manitoba and Saskatchewan have borne the brunt of this year's early and active wildfire season, while dozens of other fires have also spread in northwestern Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.
About 15,000 people have been displaced from various parts of Saskatchewan since late May.
Most of the evacuees came from the area known locally as the Tri-Community, a 20-kilometre radius around the town of La Ronge that also includes the nearby village of Air Ronge and the Lac La Ronge Indian Band. It is a central hub that connects the province's far north with its more populous southern half through a major highway.
Many structures in La Ronge have been burned by the large fire, which last week had grown to over 150,000 hectares before recent rainfall helped firefighters make progress. Multiple local businesses, bridges and houses, plus hundreds of Indigenous artifacts at the beloved Robertson Trading Post, have been destroyed.
On Wednesday, Mr. Moe said returning to the community will not be easy, noting that power outages will be an issue because of the damage. Schools, playgrounds, hospitals, grocery stores and other essential infrastructure are also affected.
But the Premier added that officials are trying to ensure a smooth transition. He announced a $500 emergency payment for every evacuee over the age of 18 in Saskatchewan, promising more support in the coming days – such as through shuttle busses and fuel.
On top of that, Saskatchewan – which unlike Manitoba and Ontario had not required help from the Canadian Armed Forces – is now calling the military to assist with recovery and rebuilding efforts.
'There are still a lot of moving pieces,' Mr. Moe said. 'Our focus is to ensure that families and children have the support they require to recover from what has been a tremendously fast-moving and challenging time.'
With at least 23 active wildfires in Saskatchewan, Mr. Moe emphasized that much-needed precipitation comes with the future risk of lightning-caused fires.
In Ontario, military planes finished the majority of airlifting on Wednesday for nearly 3,000 people from Sandy Lake First Nation, a remote community around 450 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.
In neighbouring Manitoba, which is also under a state of emergency, at least 21,000 people continue to be displaced. The province is facing 25 wildfires, with conditions in affected areas either worsening or remaining the same.
More than 105 additional firefighters are arriving this week in Manitoba from the United States, according to Idaho's National Interagency Fire Center. The new crews include those usually assigned to the most challenging fires.
Alberta is receiving 96 firefighters from Australia, as it contends with at least 60 wildfires – though most of them are smaller and evacuation orders have been lifted in some communities.
And now, Canada has been promised more help from South Africa.
Prime Minister Mark Carney discussed firefighting on Wednesday with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in a phone call. 'South Africa will continue to work with Canada on the prevention and management of wildfires,' Mr. Ramaphosa said in a statement after the call.
Trevor Abrahams, managing director of Working on Fire, South Africa's largest wildland firefighting team, told The Globe and Mail his personnel are just waiting for the signal to board a flight to Canada, with entry visas already in their passports.
'It's imminent,' he said in an interview.
Meanwhile, in B.C., where the District of Squamish has declared a localized state of emergency because of a wildfire, officials said Wednesday that the blaze has grown more than 20 hectares in size. Burning trees fell near properties, with the fire coming within 40 metres of some homes.
BC Wildfire Service officer Marc Simpson said around 200 properties have been evacuated near Squamish, though added that conditions are improving. 'We're in a better place today,' he told reporters.
At least 94 fires remained active in other parts of the province, mostly in the northeast region.
With reports from Geoffrey York in Johannesburg and Andrea Woo in Vancouver