Four communites around La Ronge given wildfire evacuation orders
Residents of Sucker River, Wadin Bay, English Bay and Nemeiben have been given a mandatory evacuation order, as a uncontained wildfire near La Ronge moved closer to the community over the weekend.
Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson issued the order for Sucker Bay at 10 a.m. on Monday, due to the shifting closeness of the Pisew fire. It is burning just 16 kilometres west of La Ronge, about 260 kilometres north of Prince Albert.
An evacuation notice from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) for the three other subdivisions followed at around 11:30 a.m. It advised residents to travel south to La Ronge for coordinated supports.
Nearby, La Ronge, Lac La Ronge, Air Ronge and Stanley Mission were also put on standby notice, due to the same fire's proximity. The resort subdivision of Ramsey Bay was advised to flee on Friday, with arrangements made to escort evacuees south.
Arrangements for buses, gas for personal vehicles and accommodations through Red Cross were in the works as of Monday at 10 a.m., according to a statement from Cook-Searson shared online.
Highway 165 south from Besnard Lake and Highway 969 to Timber Bay are both closed due to smoke and fire. Residents were advised Highway 915 into Stanley Mission was also expected to be compromised.
Those leaving any of the four communities on Monday are to meet at the Jonas Roberts Memorial Community Centre in La Ronge for buses and other supports.
The Pisew fire has reached around 83,000 hectares in size as of Monday, according to the SPSA's active wildfire map online.
More than 8,000 people from 20 northern Saskatchewan communities remain on mandatory evacuation orders due to wildfires.
Residents of Molanosa and Timber Bay were evacuated on Sunday, due to heavy smoke in the area caused by the Ditch wildfire, which is still spreading near Montreal Lake. The hamlet of Weyakwin was previously evacuated from the area on May 28.
Some evacuees from Canoe Lake First Nation were granted permission to return home late Sunday, though warned the air quality in the area remains poor due to smoke.
The Shoe fire in Narrow Hills Provincial Park, currently threatening 11 communities including Candle Lake, Smeaton and Choiceland, has grown to over 305,000 hectares in size as of Monday.
Saskatchewan has declared a provincial state of emergency, and imposed a provincewide fire ban as well as an ATV ban in the northern district to reduce risk of new fires sparking.
A daily update from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency on the situation is expected Monday afternoon.
lkurz@postmedia.com
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