Cleanup underway in Saskatchewan village devastated by wildfire in June
PRINCE ALBERT — Saskatchewan's government says recovery teams have been clearing out charred properties in a village that was ravaged by wildfire last month.
The province says cleanup efforts began last week in Denare Beach, which lost 218 homes to wildfire in June.
It also says crews have removed 230 destroyed vehicles in the village, 545 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency says it has helped more than 70 people seeking information on insurance at its resource centre.
The province has also extended the deadline by one year for residents and businesses to submit claim costs to the disaster assistance program.
Saskatchewan is reporting 60 active wildfires as of Monday, including 12 uncontained and about 3,000 people remain out of their homes.
'After a disaster, households have a lot to manage and take care of as they work through recovery,' said Marlo Pritchard of the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency in a news release Monday.
'The recovery task team will continue to look for ways to support and take some of that pressure off of the communities and their residents.'
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Broken AC units led Halifax bus drivers to refuse work during heat wave, says union
Unreliable air conditioning on Halifax Transit buses has left some drivers suffering from headaches and heat exhaustion as temperatures soared this summer, turning an uncomfortable ride into a health and a safety issue for the union representing those workers. Broken AC units are an ongoing problem for the fleet, but the transit union said this year's extended heat wave made conditions worse than usual. "We've had a couple [drivers] that were taken to the emergency rooms. We've had drivers that have just started to refuse to drive on really hot days," Patricio Garcia, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union local for Halifax, said Thursday. Garcia estimated about 50 to 60 per cent of Halifax's buses did not have working AC at some point this summer. He said it appears the company Halifax contracts to service the AC units has not been able to keep up with the "sheer amount" of problems. Garcia said besides drivers refusing work under occupational health and safety regulations, some are needing longer breaks than usual to sit in an air-conditioned bus terminal to cool off, which could create delays. "It has affected on-time performance, it's affected cancellations. It's certainly affected service quite a bit," Garcia said. The union has raised its concerns with Halifax Transit's fleet director, Garcia said, who has committed to finding a solution — but any major improvements likely won't come until next summer. Patricia Hughes, director of planning for Halifax Transit, told the city's transportation committee Thursday she didn't think work refusals were having "a significant impact at the moment." She said standby buses have been able to cover any disruptions on individual routes. The temperature in Halifax was around 22 C on Thursday, much cooler than in previous weeks. The committee asked for a staff report on the AC issue, including how many buses have working systems now, how quickly they are repaired, and whether windows can be opened on all buses. "It has been kind of a reoccurring complaint and comment that I have been hearing," said Coun. Trish Purdy, who made the motion for the report. The committee also received data on Halifax Transit performance for the past 2024-25 fiscal year. More people are taking buses and ferries in the city, as overall boardings rose seven per cent last year to 32.3 million riders, compared to 30.2 million the year before. But on-time performance for buses has fallen for the fourth year in a row to 71 per cent, down two per cent from the previous year. On-time performance represents how often a bus arrives between one minute early and three minutes late. Halifax has a benchmark of 85 per cent, which has not been hit since 2020-21. Hughes said they are always trying to adjust things to have buses run on time, but "congestion continues to increase" and slow buses down. Halifax Transit is also doing a service reliability analysis this year to examine where and why buses are getting delayed, Hughes said. Ultimately, Hughes said the best solution is removing buses from mixed traffic into their own lanes, which is a feature of the planned bus rapid transit strategy. Halifax Transit is asking for public input as it creates a new service plan for 2025-27, which could include new routes. A survey can be found on the city's website until Sept. 28, and pop-up events will be held at various terminals starting Sunday.
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Firefighters work to protect homes in West Dalhousie, N.S., as they keep an eye on Hurricane Erin
Crews continue to focus their efforts and build dozer guards on the north side of Nova Scotia's largest wildfire as they prepare for Hurricane Erin, which is expected to bring strong winds to the region starting Friday. The Department of Natural Resources says it has been monitoring the storm all week and preparing for possible impacts. ADVERTISEMENT 'We are expecting wind shifts and wind increases as the storm passes,' explained Scott Tingley, DNR's manager of forest protection, during a news conference Thursday afternoon. DNR Department of Natural Resources wildfire fighters sign a Nova Scotia flag during a quick break for lunch. (Source: Province of Nova Scotia) 'That's a big focus of the crews on the firefight now is, we put a lot of energy and focus and most of the resources on securing and suppressing up along the north end of the fire, where it's in and around the community of West Dalhousie.' The Long Lake wildfire is still considered out of control but it hasn't grown in size in a few days. The fire, which started on Aug. 13, is still estimated to be roughly 3,210 hectares. Jim Rudderham, director of fleet and forest protection for DNR, said they aren't ready to classify the wildfire as 'being held' just yet, as things could change as Erin approaches. 'Obviously, with this weather system coming through we don't know, so it's still classed as out of control,' he explained. 'We don't know where the fire is going to go, so that's why it's not classed as being held yet.' The Long Lake wildfire is close to a number of homes, a community hall, and a couple communications towers, but those structures have not been damaged. DNR officials say crews are working hard to protect the homes, especially ahead of any potential wind shifts with Erin. 'They've been using heavy equipment to build a fire break or a fire guard around the perimeter on the north side, so that's meant to remove fuel from out in front of the fire, and they've been suppressing that active perimeter, so that's where the fixed-wing water bombers have been focusing, that's where the helicopters will be focusing,' said Tingley. 'They're focusing on just really trying to make that as cold as they can ahead of these wind shifts on the weekend, to mitigate as much as possible any potential spread that could result from the wind shifts.' DNR says crews will pull back if conditions become dangerous. 'If it's really dangerous, they know enough to get themselves out, and they will,' said Rudderham. 'We don't expect them to stay anywhere that's unsafe for them. So, if they're on the ground and they have a wind shift, they will remove themselves.' Hurricane Erin is not expected to make landfall in Nova Scotia and is not expected to bring any significant weather to the area, other than strong winds and surf. Extra resources arrive in Nova Scotia There are two other wildfires burning in Nova Scotia Thursday, but they are both under control. The following resources were working in the province Thursday: 22 firefighters from Ontario five from P.E.I. 52 DNR firefighters 44 local volunteer firefighters 43 DNR support staff 37 pieces of heavy equipment. Rudderham said there are now two air tanker groups in the province, including one from the Northwest Territories, and group from Manitoba, which arrived on Wednesday. Three helicopters from Saskatchewan also landed in Nova Scotia on Wednesday and more firefighters are still expected from Ontario. Canadian Forces Base Greenwood is housing the planes and their crews. Cory Isenor Department of Natural Resources wildfire firefighter Cory Isenor holds a World War II memorial cross of a plane crash that he saved from burning in the fire. (Source: Province of Nova Scotia) Evacuation centre reinstates 24-hour operations The evacuation centre at the NSCC Annapolis Valley campus in Middleton will operate on a 24-hour basis on Thursday and Friday. 'Operating the Reception Centre 24 hours over the next two days will give evacuees peace of mind and access to support during a time of uncertainty,' said Brian Orde with the Annapolis Regional Emergency Management Organization. 'By registering and using the available services, residents help us allocate resources where they are needed most and plan next steps effectively.' The Municipality of the County of Annapolis says it will reassess the need for 24-hour operations based on the number of evacuees using the shelter and the evolving situation. The evacuation order was issued last Thursday for 107 homes, affecting roughly 215 people. Long Lake firefighter A woman sprays down a burnt out area around a communications tower near the Long Lake wildfire. (Government of Nova Scotia) For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Number of active wildfires drops to 19 in New Brunswick, 5 still out of control
An area destroyed by the Oldfield Road wildfire in the Miramichi, N.B., area is seen on Aug. 15, 2025. (New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources) The New Brunswick government says 19 active wildfires are burning in the province Thursday, down from 20 Wednesday afternoon. Of those: ADVERTISEMENT 12 are being patrolled two are contained Five wildfires are still out of control: 250 - Chief's 256 - Beaver Lake Stream 258 - Ruisseau à Eloi 276 - Mount Goold 281 - Rocky Brook The province says the situation may change and numbers may evolve throughout the day. The government is asking people to avoid travelling in the affected areas unless necessary to allow emergency crews to do their work. No structures have been lost due to the wildfires in the province and there have been no serious injuries. The province has created a phone line for people who have questions about the wildfire: 1-833-301-0334. Information is also available on the Fire Watch page and the Public Fires Dashboard. Oldfield Road fire The province's largest wildfire – the Oldfield Road fire in the Miramichi area – is still estimated to be 1,403 hectares. The fire, which has been burning since Aug. 6, became contained Monday morning. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Route 8 reopens The section of Route 8 north of Miramichi that was closed due to wildfires is now open. New Brunswick's Emergency Management Organization is asking motorists to use caution when travelling through the area, as the fire is not fully out, and firefighters are still working on the Oldfield Road fire. It is also asking motorists not to stop on road shoulders to take photos and to watch for animals as wildlife fences have been removed in some areas. City of Miramichi reopens some trails All Crown land remains closed in New Brunswick, but the City of Miramichi reopened the following trails on Thursday: French Fort Cove Mill Bank Morrison Cove The Over the Cove zipline and boat rentals at French Fort Cove have also reopened. The city says all other trails will remain closed to ATV use. A provincewide ban on burning is still in effect. Evacuations There are no evacuation orders in effect at this time. Residents living in areas close to wildfire activity are advised to be prepared to evacuate on short notice and prepare an emergency kit just in case. The kit should include necessities for at least 72 hours, such as: water food flashlight radio batteries first aid masks (for smoke filtration) prescription medications pet food Wildfire status When wildfires burn, the following terms are used to describe their status: out of control – still spreading and not contained being monitored – a known, out-of-control fire that is not immediately threatening life or infrastructure, monitored by aircraft or satellite with no resources currently assigned contained – surrounded by barriers, such as lakes, roads, and fire lines, but still burning and could spread under control – surrounded and stable; low activity, minimal risk of escape being patrolled – contained with little to no fire activity; crews monitoring hotspots out – fully extinguished; no smoke for at least 24 hours fire of note – a fire requiring significant resources or threatening homes or critical infrastructure For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
