Wildfire Watch: RM of Alexander updates
Mayor Jack Brisco shares how his community is coping with the wildfire threat and what support evacuees can expect.
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Globe and Mail
32 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Half of Saskatchewan residents who were forced to flee wildfires can return home this week
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
CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
‘Turning a corner': Some Saskatchewan wildfire evacuees returning home after rain-filled weekend aids firefighting
People stop along a highway as a large active wildfire fills the sky with smoke in the background in the La Ronge, Sask., area in an undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, *MANDATORY CREDIT* Residents of Pelican Narrows, Weyakwin and other northern Saskatchewan communities have been given the green light to return to their homes – as the province's state of emergency due to wildfires enters its 12th day. Speaking to reporters Monday, Minister of Public Safety Tim McLeod said repatriation efforts are moving along following a weekend of rainfall which offered a much-needed reprieve for fire crews. The evacuation order for Weyakwin has been lifted. At the same time, Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation announced Sunday that residents could begin returning to the community. Additionally, Foran Mining facilities southwest of Creighton are no longer considered under threat. McLeod says the company is anticipating a full return to its mine in the area by Friday. 'We're optimistic that more communities will indeed be returning home in the days and weeks ahead, and we look forward to that progress,' he said. Weyakwin, located 140 kilometres north of Prince Albert, was originally evacuated on May 31 due to the Ditch02 Fire. Saskatchewan RCMP have charged two suspects with arson in connection to that wildfire. McLeod says the province has determined most of the wildfires currently burning out of control were caused by human activity. 'We know that virtually all, if not all, of the forest fires in Saskatchewan were human caused, and unfortunately, some of those were intentionally caused by humans,' he said. There are 25 active wildfires in Saskatchewan as of Monday – with 256 recorded so far this year – smashing the five-year average of 145 by June 9. The SPSA has confirmed 295 structures have been damaged or destroyed due to wildfires this season. As of Monday, a total of 33 communities are on evacuation notice. According to the province, 10,262 people are being supported by the Canadian Red Cross – while 860 are being supported by the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA). An unknown number of residents have self-evacuated and are receiving intermittent supports while staying with family or friends. Federal support Responding to questions regarding federal aid – McLeod says the province is in constant communication with the federal government. 'This isn't a situation where we're not asking for assistance or they're not offering assistance,' he explained. 'It's simply a situation where the needs that we have to align with what they're offering and we continue to have those conversations daily to find that alignment.' McLeod says the province has requested two base camps from the federal government - in addition to two tents for sheltering up to 200 people. 'Those base camps would be established for working crews as they go back into the communities they're rebuilding,' he added. 'We're now turning a corner, I would say, and optimistic. Still much work to be done, but preparing for that next phase, making sure that we are ahead of the cleanup efforts and the rebuilding efforts that we know are to come with that.' Wildfires by the numbers According to the SPSA's Vice President of Operations Steve Roberts, several fires have merged. Such is the case with the Wolf, Club and Pelican2 Fires near Creighton and the Ditch02 and Shoe Fires north of Prince Albert. Roberts says that the agency will continue referring to several of the fires by their current names due to the fact that the crews managing them are in seperate regions of the province. 'In some cases where the fires have merged, we've actually turned them into one fire, such as the Shoe Fire,' he explained. 'But there's others ... such as the Ditch Fire and the Shoe Fire that we do not want to merge together because of logistical reasons ... so we've kept them separate, even though their borders touch at some point.' Shoe Fire Remaining the largest blaze in the province, the Shoe Fire has surpassed an estimated 500,000 hectares. Highways 912 and 913 have remained closed due to the blaze. About 22 millimetres of rain fell on parts of the Shoe Fire over the weekend, which aided firefighting efforts. JaySmith Fire The JaySmith Fire has grown to 139,000 hectares, No highways are currently affected. Ditch02 Fire Highway 969 remains closed due to the Ditch Fire, which has grown to 153,000 hectares. The village of Weyakwin, originally evacuated due to the Ditch Fire, is now seeing residents return. Pisew Fire The Pisew Fire, which has threatened the La Ronge area, is currently estimated at 181,000 hectares. Highway 2 north and Highway 102 north near La Ronge have been intermittently closed. Wolf Fire The Wolf Fire, located west of Denare Beach, is estimated to cover 130,000 hectares. Highway 167, 106 and the Highway 135 junction are closed due to the flames. Pelican2 Fire The Pelican2 Fire, located north of Pelican Narrows, is estimated to be 34,000 hectares. Access to Highway 135 has been restored - and residents are in the process of returning. Club Fire Located over the Saskatchewan and Manitoba border near Creighton and Flin Flon, 17,000 hectares fall within Saskatchewan. The fire totals 60,000 hectares.
CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
Cranberry Portage to begin re-entry following wildfire evacuation
CTV's Taylor Brock has more on the struggle for wildfire evacuees to find accommodations. A Manitoba community evacuated due to wildfires has a re-entry plan in place for the weekend. The RM of Kelsey announced Wednesday it is planning to allow re-entry to the community of Cranberry Portage starting Saturday at 8 a.m. The community posted on its Facebook page that residents should ensure they have stocked up on groceries and have all their belongings packed before they return. The RM says Hydro and telephones are functioning normally and testing of water and sewage has been completed to ensure water is safe to drink and use. According to the province's fire bulletin, a fire south of Cranberry Portage is 4,920 hectares in size and considered out of control. There are 25 active wildfires burning in Manitoba as of Wednesday.
