logo
‘Very tough': Northern Sask. evacuees adapt to city life as wildfires threaten their communities

‘Very tough': Northern Sask. evacuees adapt to city life as wildfires threaten their communities

CTV News15 hours ago
Allison Bamford has the latest on the threat of wildfires a community is Saskatchewan is facing.
Two days ago, Wendy Eldridge didn't know if she would have a community to go back to.
Flames breached the northern Saskatchewan village of Beauval on Thursday night, shortly after the last bus of evacuees left. A concession stand and vehicle burned, but the rest of the community was spared.
As of Saturday afternoon, flames still threatened the village on several fronts, officials said. A fire burning to the south and hot spots to the north and west pose risks.
'It's very stressful,' Eldridge said.
When she learned of Thursday's imminent threat, Eldridge instructed her daughter to grab important documents from their house and take as many photos as possible in case everything went up in flames.
'It was right on people's doorsteps,' she said.'It was heart-wrenching to watch and see on social media.'
Sask fires
Community liaison Wendy Eldridge helps Saskatoon evacuees.
Eldridge is serving as one of the community liaisons during the evacuation. She's busy coordinating activities for the evacuees staying in Saskatoon hotels, trying to make the tough situation feel as normal as possible — especially for those who've never been in the city before.
'It's very trying on a lot of our community members. They're not used to being away from home for this length of time,' she said.
By helping others, she says she's also keeping her own mind off the wildfires.
'Anybody who knows me knows that I'm a worker bee,' she said, adding that several others have stepped in to help as well.
Beauval and neighbouring communities remain under a state of emergency that will last at least another week, which means evacuees won't be able to return home until July 18 at the earliest. The evacuation order could be extended, depending on advice from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, said Beauval Mayor Rick Laliberte.
'The fire is not out. It's not controlled by any means,' Laliberte told CTV News.'This is a defensive fight, but it's not putting out the fire. That's going to take rain — it's going to take a lot of rain to do that.'
Helicopters continue to fly overhead, and firefighters are putting out hotspots in the forest.
Sask fires
Fire crews continue putting out hot spots in and around Beauval, Sask.
Less than 10 kilometres west of Beauval, a fire is threatening the community of Jans Bay, forcing more highway closures.
About 100 kilometres north, priority residents had to be airlifted out of Patuanak after flames forced the closure of the only road into the community.
'We're surrounded by fires — literally 300 degrees around Beauval,' Laliberte said.
The area received a bit of rain on Saturday, which the mayor said is offering hope. Crews are watching both the forecast and wind direction closely.
If winds shift from the north, as expected, Laliberte said the fire could flare up again.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

3 of 4 Island Lake communities under states of emergency due to Manitoba wildfires
3 of 4 Island Lake communities under states of emergency due to Manitoba wildfires

CBC

timean hour ago

  • CBC

3 of 4 Island Lake communities under states of emergency due to Manitoba wildfires

Two more communities in Manitoba's Island Lake region are preparing to evacuate vulnerable residents away from wildfires spreading out of control around them. St. Theresa Point and Wasagamack First Nations have declared local states of emergencies in the last 24 hours, said Grand Chief Alex McDougall of Anisininew Okimawin, an organization that represents four nations in the region. Vulnerable residents, including elderly people, children and people with underlying medical conditions are expected to start being evacuated from Wasagamack First Nation on Monday, Chief Walter Harper said. Two wildfires, one of them burning about 16 kilometres away west that started in recent days, have blanketed the community with smoke, resulting in deteriorating air quality. The First Nation, about 375 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, has been monitoring them by looking at satellite imaging and sending crews on the ground, but firefighting activity has been limited. Weather conditions have been unfavourable in recent days. The First Nation is hoping for some rain on Sunday, but Harper said they do not believe it will be of much help to douse the flames. About 2,300 people live in the community, Harper said. The First Nation chief spoke with Premier Wab Kinew on Sunday and said the community is expecting support from the province. "I need lots of tobacco offering to do a prayer for the rain to kind of put out the fire," the chief said. "We need firefighters too, we need water bombers." Wasagamack First Nation doesn't have an airport and the closest landing strips are in St. Theresa Point, Man., and Garden Hill, Man., said Vice-Chief Robert Harper. With heavy smoke drifting from the wildfires, there are concerns planes can't land, grounding Wasagamack's evacuation plans. "There's a lot of people with health conditions here asking if they're being sent out," he said. "There's smoke no matter which way the wind blows, except for the northeast." Harper said officials are "trying to get ahead of what we know is coming." Grand Chief Alex McDougall said the communities in the Island Lake region have been in conversations with Indigenous Services Canada and the Red Cross. He said there are concerns about the health of residents, especially with deteriorating air quality. "It is one of the drivers to calling a local state emergency and starting the process of evacuations," said Harper. He said there are also worries about fires growing closer to hydro corridors that could leave communities without power. Anisininew Okimawin has stressed to the federal and provincial governments the importance of sending firefighting resources — both human and equipment — to the region. Near Wasagamack, a stretch of the forest that burned in 2017 is a hotspot. If reached by the new wildfires, it could accelerate the spread toward the community. In Garden Hill Anisininew Nation, about 475 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, a sprinkler system has been set up and a fire line has been built to protect residences from the flames. A spokesperson for the province said the fire threatening that community is almost 2,500 hectares in size. The First Nation started evacuating residents on Thursday — the same day the province declared another state of emergency due to wildfires. On Saturday, there were about 750 evacuees staying at the emergency shelter set up in Winnipeg's Leila Avenue soccer complex, while around 500 more people slept at the University of Winnipeg recreation complex, the province said. As of 1 p.m. local time Sunday, the Canadian Armed Forces said they had evacuated over 1,550 residents from the Island Lake region. McDougall said the evacuations were expected to continue into Sunday. He hoped only leadership and emergency personnel would stay behind. Timothy Mentuck fled Garden Hill for Winnipeg with his wife, children and grandchildren on Friday, feeling dread as the family of 10 left their home and pets behind. He said the evacuation experience has been good so far and food has been readily available, but it's been difficult to get any sleep on the hard cots. His family, like many others, are waiting in a congregate shelter until hotel rooms become available in the city. "We'll probably have to wait another day or two to get a room," Mentuck said. "If I could go home tomorrow, I'd go home tomorrow." Thompson mayor hopeful things are improving, but still preparing for possible evacuation Meanwhile, cloud cover, light winds and even rain have helped Manitoba's wildfire service make some progress in battling two blazes growing closer to Thompson, the largest city in Manitoba's north, where roughly 13,000 residents have been preparing for a possible evacuation. The wildfires have spread slightly but they are moving to the north, away from the city. However, Mayor Colleen Smook told CBC News said that while she is hopeful with the change in weather patterns, Thompson is still preparing to get everybody out. "You get a huge wind and anything can happen," Smook said. The team of firefighters battling the blazes near Thompson is set to welcome about 40 firefighters from New Zealand and 20 others from Mexico in the coming days, the mayor said. The city is getting two new helicopters from Quebec to assist firefighters, which will add to an aircraft already in use. "Everything is ramping up to take care of the fire," she said. "It's a big area to cover." One of the two wildfires spreading closer to Thompson has stretched over 17,000 hectares, Smook said. According to the province's latest fire bulletin, issued Friday, the Manitoba Wildfire Service was responding to 107 active wildfires across the province, which has seen a total of 270 wildfires to date, which is well above the average for this time of year: 201. Preparations are being made to better protect Thompson in the event the wildfire stretches into the city. Crews have been removing brush, bulldozers are building fire lines and Manitoba Hydro has been clearing power lines. As a pre-emptive measure and due to worsening air quality, 33 residents were evacuated from a long-term care home on Friday. The city's medical centres, including its hospital, are also working with patients in critical condition to have a plan for their evacuation. More than 10,000 residents already pre-registered with the city last week to establish who needs transportation and shelter in the event of an evacuation. "We're getting to the point that we feel a little bit more optimistic that should the fire turn … I won't say we're totally prepared for it, but we're definitely in a good spot," the mayor said.

Heat warning continues as severe thunderstorm watch ends for Toronto and area
Heat warning continues as severe thunderstorm watch ends for Toronto and area

CTV News

time2 hours ago

  • CTV News

Heat warning continues as severe thunderstorm watch ends for Toronto and area

CP24's Melissa Duggan with the latest from Woodbine Park and animal tips and from the Toronto Humane Society A severe thunderstorm watch issued by Environment Canada earlier today for Toronto and surrounding areas has ended. Earlier today, the national weather agency warned of potentially dangerous weather, including torrential rain, hail, and damaging wind gusts. 'Slow moving showers and thunderstorms are expected to bring heavy rain into this afternoon,' the agency said late Sunday morning. 'Hail and strong wind gusts are also possible.' Officials said hazards could include rainfall amounts of up to 50 mm in some areas, hail up to the size of a nickel, and strong winds capable of damaging trees, property, or even overturning vehicles. 'Lightning kills and injures Canadians every year,' Environment Canada cautioned. 'When thunder roars, go indoors!' The storms are expected to continue with the risk of flash flooding and reduced visibility. Emergency Management Ontario is advising residents to take cover immediately if threatening weather approaches and to avoid driving through flooded roadways. Police also warned of 'water pooling' on the DVP Toronto police also issued a warning just after 10:30 a.m. today about "water pooling" on the Don Valley Parkway, near the Gardiner Expressway. Drivers were urged to use caution and consider alternate routes, as lane restrictions were in effect. That warning marked the second concurrent weather warning for the city. Heat warning remains in effect for region Environment Canada's heat warning for Toronto and surrounding areas— the third since late June — also remains active and is expected to continue through Thursday. Daytime highs are forecast between 29 C and 32 C with humidex values approaching 40. The hottest day is expected to be Tuesday officials warn, with cooler temperatures unlikely to arrive until late in the week.

Severe thunderstorm warning in effect for Ottawa
Severe thunderstorm warning in effect for Ottawa

CBC

time3 hours ago

  • CBC

Severe thunderstorm warning in effect for Ottawa

Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Ottawa and other eastern Ontario communities, and a severe thunderstorm watch for the rest of eastern Ontario and parts of western Quebec. The warning, issued Sunday around 2 p.m., is due to a line of thunderstorms moving northwest from Thomasburg, Ont., to Norway Bay, Que., the weather agency wrote. Communities like Arnprior, Kaladar, Perth and Ottawa are covered by the warning in Ontario, as well as Gatineau and western Quebec communities including Wakefield and Shawville. The weather agency said there may be 90 km/h winds, up to 50 millimetres of rain and nickel-sized hail. Reduced visibility, utility outages and flash flooding are likely, according to Environment Canada. The warnings come as much of the region is also experiencing a lengthy heat warning which began late Friday morning. The agency advises the public to stay indoors and take cover in a basement where possible during threatening weather, and notes strong winds can damage trees or buildings and overturn vehicles. Environment Canada issues a severe thunderstorm watch when conditions are favourable for a storm to develop. A warning is issued when there is evidence that a thunderstorm is imminent or occurring that will produce damaging hail, wind or rain.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store