'Beyond devastating': Residents of Denare Beach, Sask., start returning home
For Alannah Skot, returning to Denare Beach, Sask., has been both painful and therapeutic.
Her home was among the 218 permanent residences destroyed by wildfire three weeks ago, when the Wolf fire roared into the northern village on June 2.
But the lodge she owns, the Overland Resort, survived, so she was among the people allowed to return to the community on the weekend when the local evacuation order partially lifted.
"It's beyond devastating," she said on Monday, when asked what it's like to be back.
"But I personally feel so much better being here with all my friends, and just having the support.… To be back where people are feeling the same emotions as you is very therapeutic."
Skot travelled to Denare Beach on Saturday to start preparing her lodge for guests, who so far will include some displaced residents as well as SaskTel crews in town to restore phone and internet services.
She said she is "beyond grateful" to the firefighters who defended the community, and thankful her lodge is still standing, though she doesn't know how — there's blackened signs of the burn all around it and the rice plant across the street was destroyed.
"The grass is longer, my barbecue is a pool of metal, like most around town," she said. "My glass bottles that were ready for recycling are melted."
On Sunday, the village lifted the evacuation order for permanent residents whose homes weren't destroyed by fire. Then on Monday, the village announced the evacuation order will be fully lifted on Wednesday, meaning seasonal residents and non-residents will also be allowed to travel there.
"Due to the many crews working in the village and for those who have experienced losses, we ask that any unnecessary traffic refrain from entering the village at this time," the village posted on Facebook.
Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation has also been working on co-ordinating the response and recovery for its Denare Beach reserve, just south of the Northern Village of Denare Beach. Just 10 homes out of about 35 on the reserve were saved.
The First Nation said in an update on its website that it is "working to restrict access to Denare Beach to community members only. Security measures are being implemented to prevent non-residents from entering or taking photos in the area."
Some residents in the area will have to wait a bit longer until they can return, including anyone who needs medical services. Denare Beach and nearby Creighton depend on the city of Flin Flon, just across the border in Manitoba, for many services.
Officials in Manitoba said they expect to lift the evacuation order for Flin Flon on Wednesday, but health-care services will be limited for a while.
Denare Beach resident Maureen McBratney has been staying in Yorkton, to continue her dialysis treatment. She said she can't go home until she hears the dialysis unit is up and running at the hospital in Flon Flon.
McBratney said it's been tough listening to other family members getting excited about returning.
"I get it, you know, things [in the hospital] have to be cleaned and properly vetted to make sure everything's safe for people like me to go home," she said. "But, you know, it's still a little hard to take."
There are still 19 active fires burning in the province, Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency vice-president Steve Roberts said in a media briefing on Monday afternoon.
But favourable weather has meant crews have been making progress on containing the four major fires still burning: the Shoe fire is 50 per contained, the Pisew fire 30 per cent contained, the Wolf fire 30 per cent contained and the Ditch fire 80 per cent contained.
He said there were no changes to the total "values" confirmed as burned, which is 1,931 provincewide, including 299 houses and 60 cabins.
Members of the recovery task team, announced last week, were on their way to Creighton on Monday, Roberts said. When asked what kind of supports there will be for people whose homes burned, he said some will be relying on insurance and some are staying with family and friends.
"For those that don't, that's one of the questions the recovery task team will be looking at, is what other supports might be available for those individuals," he said.
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Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
'Beyond devastating': Residents of Denare Beach, Sask., start returning home
For Alannah Skot, returning to Denare Beach, Sask., has been both painful and therapeutic. Her home was among the 218 permanent residences destroyed by wildfire three weeks ago, when the Wolf fire roared into the northern village on June 2. But the lodge she owns, the Overland Resort, survived, so she was among the people allowed to return to the community on the weekend when the local evacuation order partially lifted. "It's beyond devastating," she said on Monday, when asked what it's like to be back. "But I personally feel so much better being here with all my friends, and just having the support.… To be back where people are feeling the same emotions as you is very therapeutic." Skot travelled to Denare Beach on Saturday to start preparing her lodge for guests, who so far will include some displaced residents as well as SaskTel crews in town to restore phone and internet services. She said she is "beyond grateful" to the firefighters who defended the community, and thankful her lodge is still standing, though she doesn't know how — there's blackened signs of the burn all around it and the rice plant across the street was destroyed. "The grass is longer, my barbecue is a pool of metal, like most around town," she said. "My glass bottles that were ready for recycling are melted." On Sunday, the village lifted the evacuation order for permanent residents whose homes weren't destroyed by fire. Then on Monday, the village announced the evacuation order will be fully lifted on Wednesday, meaning seasonal residents and non-residents will also be allowed to travel there. "Due to the many crews working in the village and for those who have experienced losses, we ask that any unnecessary traffic refrain from entering the village at this time," the village posted on Facebook. Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation has also been working on co-ordinating the response and recovery for its Denare Beach reserve, just south of the Northern Village of Denare Beach. Just 10 homes out of about 35 on the reserve were saved. The First Nation said in an update on its website that it is "working to restrict access to Denare Beach to community members only. Security measures are being implemented to prevent non-residents from entering or taking photos in the area." Some residents in the area will have to wait a bit longer until they can return, including anyone who needs medical services. Denare Beach and nearby Creighton depend on the city of Flin Flon, just across the border in Manitoba, for many services. Officials in Manitoba said they expect to lift the evacuation order for Flin Flon on Wednesday, but health-care services will be limited for a while. Denare Beach resident Maureen McBratney has been staying in Yorkton, to continue her dialysis treatment. She said she can't go home until she hears the dialysis unit is up and running at the hospital in Flon Flon. McBratney said it's been tough listening to other family members getting excited about returning. "I get it, you know, things [in the hospital] have to be cleaned and properly vetted to make sure everything's safe for people like me to go home," she said. "But, you know, it's still a little hard to take." There are still 19 active fires burning in the province, Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency vice-president Steve Roberts said in a media briefing on Monday afternoon. But favourable weather has meant crews have been making progress on containing the four major fires still burning: the Shoe fire is 50 per contained, the Pisew fire 30 per cent contained, the Wolf fire 30 per cent contained and the Ditch fire 80 per cent contained. He said there were no changes to the total "values" confirmed as burned, which is 1,931 provincewide, including 299 houses and 60 cabins. Members of the recovery task team, announced last week, were on their way to Creighton on Monday, Roberts said. When asked what kind of supports there will be for people whose homes burned, he said some will be relying on insurance and some are staying with family and friends. "For those that don't, that's one of the questions the recovery task team will be looking at, is what other supports might be available for those individuals," he said.
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Experts share 4 quick tips to clean a grill — without the mess
Summer is almost here, and the perfect time to dust off one of the best grills for those backyard gatherings with family and friends. And while it's pretty quick and simple to cook up a delicious feast, the cleaning up afterwards can be a time-consuming task. This is especially the case if you've left it for a long time. What's more, cleaning a grill properly can make all the difference to your grilling results. Otherwise, leftover grease and residue will impact the flavors of what you cook, not to mention bacteria, as well as carcinogens, can transfer to your food between meals. Luckily, we've got the grilling pros at hand to share some of their top cleaning tips and easy hacks to make the task hassle-free. So before you get cooking, check out these expert tips on how to clean a grill — right on time for summer. If you want to go about your yard work, or even just loll in a hammock while your ribs are smoking, you can connect the Traeger to an app which will let you know when it's time to baste, raise the temp to finish them off, or alert you that they're ready to serve. You just add hardwood pellets to a hopper, set a target temperature, and the grill does the rest. It's always a tough challenge to scrub off caked-on food or residue on a grill, especially if you've waited weeks later to clean. Experts recommend you should run the empty grill on full temperature for 15-20 minutes. The heat will burn any remaining food residue to a charred state, making it easier to remove, as well as kill any bacteria. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Remember to always wait for the grill to completely cool before you start to clean. 'To get the deepest clean you should turn all the burners on 'HI' (except rotisserie), and let the grill heat up for 15-20 minutes with the hood closed,' advises Chef Joel Chesebro, Executive Chef at Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove. Then, turn the burners 'OFF' and allow the grill to cool completely. Once the grill has cooled completely, a no-scratch pad and mild detergent or spray degreaser works best to scrub the stainless-steel surfaces. When it comes to cleaning the hard-to-reach areas of your grill grates, it's recommended to use a wire brush after each use to remove rust, rotating to reach both sides of the grate.' If you have tough grease stains, or don't want to use strong, commercial cleaners, you can opt for natural, homemade solutions. A white vinegar and water solution is a great non-toxic cleaner to remove dirt and stains effectively. This is due to the vinegar's acidity which is able to dissolve and lift off stains, with streak-free results. 'Vinegar and water are great,' adds Chef David Rose, executive chef for Omaha Steaks. 'Using a Palmyra brush, you can also use the diluted solution to clean and for tough stains on the exterior, I use a mix of baking soda and water.' Use a palmyra bristle brush to clean the grill. Refrain from using stainless steel as the steel can contaminate the food and metal is dangerous and toxic to ingest. Alternatively, use a mild dishwashing liquid diluted with warm water to clean the exterior after the grill has cooled down all the way.' If you want more natural cleaning tips, find out exactly what makes baking soda and vinegar so good at cleaning. Another top cleaning tip is to use an onion — yes, you heard right! According to experts, the acidity in an onion will work just as well to remove the charred bit of debris on the grill grates. 'After preheating the grill, rub a halved onion (cut side down) on the grates using tongs,' advises Chris Ramos, grilling expert of Blain's Farm & Fleet. 'The natural acids help break down buildup. Then use a stiff wire brush or grill scraper to clean the grates while they're still warm.' Also, don't forget about cleaning the exterior and lid of your grill to get rid of dirt or residue. 'To clean the exterior of your grill, it's recommended to use a lint free or microfiber cloth and a stainless-steel cleaner to remove any stains after each use,' adds Chesebro. 'Once that's complete, it's important to apply a polish to maintain luster and protect the surface from future stains.' This may seem counterproductive, especially since the aim is to clean old grease, but experts advise to oil the grates after cleaning. This will help to prevent food from sticking when cooking, making it far easier to clean afterwards. Simply lightly oil the grates using a paper towel and tongs to prevent sticking. 'Make it a habit to always oil your grates before and after you cook,' adds Ryan Schellhous, owner of Firemetal. 'High heat oil such as avocado oil, vegetable oil, grape seed oil (NOT extra virgin olive oil) for before and after grill uses.' Check out more grill cleaning tips for gas, charcoal and more, just avoid these grilling mistakes at all costs.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
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'There's a lot I wish I would have taken': Denare Beach residents in shock after wildfire
When Rebecca McCrimmon evacuated with her family from Denare Beach last week, it was out of concern that access to the northeast Saskatchewan community, not far from the Manitoba border, would be cut off by the Club fire burning to the north. She packed some clothes and mementoes, thinking she would be able to return home after the danger passed. But then on Monday, the Wolf fire suddenly moved in from the west. She watched via a video feed as the flames went down the street in front of her house. Then the feed went dark. McCrimmon thought about the things she hadn't packed. "There's a lot I wish I would have taken," she said in an interview on Wednesday, her voice trailing off. "Like my daughter's footprints from the hospital, her hospital hat and her first haircut, different things like that." McCrimmon, her husband and their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter are staying with family in Gimli, Man. McCrimmon said she's grateful for a family friend who is in the community and has been documenting the states of the properties to share with the residents, as it was "very hard" when they didn't know if their home had been lost. WATCH | 'I feel so lost': Denare Beach resident sad and angry after losing home to wildfire: Gracie Dareichuk is also dealing with the news that her home burned to the ground. Like McCrimmon, she wasn't too worried until the winds changed on Monday and the Wolf fire made its run toward the community. She watched the photos and videos posted from neighbours' cameras with growing alarm — and with an enormous feeling of helplessness. "We could just see the fire blazing up. It was tragic, like a terrible sight to see," Dareichuk said in an interview. "It felt almost like torture, like you were just sitting there, forced to watch your house burn." The 21-year-old nursing student has been staying with relatives in eastern Saskatchewan as well as in a camper. While she's grateful to have family support, Dareichuk doesn't want to burden them by staying for weeks on end. "I feel so lost," she said. "I keep saying, I just want to go back home, but I know I can't go back home because I don't have a home now." The Denare Beach reserve, located just south of the resort village, was also hit by the fire. Easter Dubinak, who lives on the reserve, says all but 10 homes there were lost. "My parents' home burned down … and all of my mother's possessions were in our home," Dubinak said. "We lost her 15 years ago to breast cancer and it feels like I've lost her all over again. I'm so devastated." Dubinak said the reserve being small makes it an especially tight-knit community. "We always came together to help one another," she said. "When a member passed we all mourned for that member like they were family, that's how close we were." Residents of Denare Beach are among the estimated 10,000 to 15,000 people people displaced from 34 communities in Saskatchewan due to the wildfires, according to Wednesday's briefing from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency. The estimated number of "values" lost — including homes, cabins, infrastructure and vehicles — is more than 400, said SPSA vice-president of operations Steve Roberts. There were 24 active fires in the province as of Wednesday afternoon, with only five of them classified as contained. La Ronge is one of the communities with displaced residents nervously waiting for news about any losses, after the Pisew fire moved in from the north. Two businesses, Robertson Trading and Rona, burned in the town on Tuesday evening and all but the most essential personnel have been told to leave. Denare Beach so far has been the "largest single area of impact" in terms of values lost, Roberts said. WATCH | Evacuees concerned as wildfire conditions in northern Sask. worsen:
