Latest news with #LacLaRongeIndianBand
CTV News
2 hours ago
- Climate
- CTV News
‘A moccasin is not just a slipper': Sask. wildfire destroys historic La Ronge Trading Post
A fast-moving wildfire has destroyed the historic Robertson Trading Post in La Ronge, Saskatchewan. Flames swept into the northern town Tuesday night, engulfing the iconic trading post and neighbouring RONA store. Video posted to social media shows both buildings ablaze as ground crews and firefighting helicopters battle the flames. Despite not being fully operational, Robertson Trading held hundreds of pieces of Indigenous art and historical artifacts. 'We are filled with regret that we weren't able to save the artwork,' the family business wrote in a Facebook post. 'Let this tragedy be a reminder to all that a moccasin is not just a slipper, that a beaded cardholder or keychain is not just a practical accessory; please hold your own pieces of indigenous art close to your heart. Protect them.' The Pisew Fire has grown to 83,000 hectares — more than three times the size of Saskatoon. It breached the La Ronge airport and destroyed the province's air tanker base. 'We are up against a monster. The last 24 hours have been chaotic,' the La Ronge fire department posted on Facebook, thanking private contractors and volunteers. 'We are doing the best we can fighting for our communities.' An evacuation order was issued for La Ronge, Air Ronge and the Lac La Ronge Indian Band on Monday evening. About 400 structures have been destroyed in Saskatchewan wildfires and officials estimate about 15,000 people have been forced to leave their homes It is the driest spring on record for La Ronge. The area has received just 18 millimetres of rain over the past three months — far below the 100 millimetres it typically gets, according to Environment Canada. Saskatchewan's largest wildfire — the Shoe Fire — has burned about 470,000 hectares and is less than 14 kilometres from Candle Lake.
Globe and Mail
a day ago
- Climate
- Globe and Mail
Thousands more flee as Saskatchewan battles wildfires in the north
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says thousands have fled a wildfire in the province's north, almost doubling the number of people already forced from their homes. Speaking on a Rawlco Radio show, Moe said about 7,000 people have evacuated the town of La Ronge, nearby Air Ronge and the Lac La Ronge Indian Band. An evacuation order was issued for the area Monday due to an encroaching wildfire. Some buildings, including homes, have been lost in the northern part of La Ronge, the premier said. '(The fires) came down on La Ronge in a little bit different way, according to the mayor I chatted with last night, than they even expected,' Moe said Tuesday on The Evan Bray Show. 'With the winds gusting and the dry conditions and just the veracity of these fires, it is really an untenable time.' Wildfire smoke map: Which parts of Canada are under air quality warnings? About 8,000 residents were already displaced by fires in Saskatchewan. In neighbouring Manitoba, fires have forced more than 17,000 people from their homes, including 5,000 residents of Flin Flon near the Saskatchewan boundary. The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency ordered the latest evacuation after fire breached the airport in La Ronge, a town of 2,500. Moe said flames took out the agency's tanker base as well as its communications base at the airport. None of the tankers were burned, he said. 'It is where we do the communications for all of the tankers, so we're putting in place our backup plan,' he said. Thousands of hotel rooms opened for wildfire evacuees from Western Canada Moe said the province is working with the federal government and the RCMP to determine whether military support is needed. He added that with no rain in the forecast, officials will 'have to keep this up for a few more days.' Evacuees have been told to head south to Prince Albert. The out-of-control fire was fast-moving and listed at more than 836 square kilometres in size as of Monday night. The Saskatchewan Health Authority and the Canadian Red Cross have said more than 45 acute-care patients and long-term care residents were being moved from the La Ronge Health Centre and care homes. La Ronge resident Terry Ross said Tuesday morning he was still in town, bringing the few people left in town to the community centre so they could evacuate. Despite the thick, smoky air and strong winds, he said the evacuation so far has been smooth. 'I know one car overheated on the highway,' he said. 'But other than that, it's been good.' Ross said he plans to meet up later Tuesday with his children, who left La Ronge on Monday and are now in Saskatoon. Derek Cornet, a La Ronge resident and reporter for local news outlet larongeNOW, said he saw firefighters setting up sprinklers and has seen some homes and cabins burned to the ground. It's the second wildfire to force out La Ronge residents in 10 years. 'People had a bit more of a head start in the 2015 (wildfire),' he said. 'This one took a lot of people by surprise because the winds are just so strong right now and the fire moved so quickly that a lot of people just weren't expecting it to arrive as quickly as it did.' Cornet said he planned to leave when it is no longer safe for him to stay. SaskTel, the province's main telecom provider, has said an outage is affecting internet, cellphone and landline phone services in the area. Air quality alerts have also been issued for parts of Saskatchewan due to the fires.
National Post
a day ago
- Climate
- National Post
Saskatchewan fire evacuations grow after blaze breaches airport
Article content The latest wildfire evacuees in Saskatchewan are being told to head south to Prince Albert after being ordered to leave the northern town of La Ronge. Article content The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency issued an evacuation order Monday afternoon for the 2,500 residents of La Ronge, as well as those in nearby Air Ronge and the Lac La Ronge Indian Band after a wildfire breached the town's airport. Article content Article content Article content Among the affected by the order are more than 45 acute-care patients and long-term care residents from the La Ronge Health Centre and care homes, who the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the Canadian Red Cross are working to move. Article content The out-of-control fire is fast moving and was listed at more than 836 square kilometres in size as of Monday evening. Article content The La Ronge evacuation adds to the 8,000 residents already displaced by 18 fires burning in Saskatchewan, while dozens of fires in neighbouring Manitoba have sent more than 17,000 people from their homes, including 5,000 residents of Flin Flon. Article content Article content
CBC
2 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
Here's where wildfire smoke is spreading in Canada and the U.S.
Social Sharing As wildfires continue to rage in Western Canada, communities in affected areas and surrounding provinces have been blanketed by thick plumes of smoke, prompting air quality alerts extending into parts of the United States this week. Smoke conditions in some parts of the U.S. Midwest have become so bad that the air quality has been categorized as "hazardous." Exposure to wildfire smoke has been found to cause early death and respiratory issues, says a 2024 report from Health Canada. Which provinces have been affected so far? Air quality warnings have been issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada throughout Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Ontario. Fifty-three communities in southeastern Manitoba, for example, have received alerts about wildfire smoke causing poor air quality and reduced visibility. The warnings stated that conditions in some Manitoba regions are improving as the smoke drifts eastward and away from the affected communities, but it is expected to linger in areas like Flin Flon and Cross Lake, where local wildfires are still evading control. Communities in northern Saskatchewan, such as La Ronge, have also been under air quality warnings for the past several days. While La Ronge is still on standby for evacuation orders, the Lac La Ronge Indian Band opened a fresh air shelter inside the Jonas Roberts Memorial Community Centre to provide some relief for those impacted by the heavy smoke. A number of special air quality statements were also issued for more than a dozen communities in northwestern Ontario early Monday morning. The statements warned that wildfire smoke was expected to remain in the area for the next several days. What parts of the U.S. will be impacted? Over the weekend, smoke drifted toward the Upper Midwest in the U.S., impacting northwestern Wisconsin, eastern Nebraska, northeastern North Dakota and most of Minnesota. A statewide air quality alert has been issued for Minnesota until Wednesday by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The alert states that the smoke will likely reach northwest and north-central Minnesota by Monday evening, following behind a cold front that's moving southeast. The Air Quality Index values used in the U.S. are expected to reach the "hazardous" category in northwestern Minnesota. At that level, the public is advised to avoid physical activity outdoors, and high-risk groups — including those with lung and heart disease, seniors and young children — should remain indoors. The alert warns residents in northwestern Minnesota that they can also expect mild ashfall and reduced visibility. Where is the smoke headed? The smoke is expected to drift southeast in the coming days, according to BlueSky Canada's smoke forecast, which combines Alberta and British Columbia's forest fire data with weather forecast models to predict smoke concentrations. How bad is the air quality? Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) values — the scale used in Canada to relate air quality to health — were at seven in Flin Flon on Monday evening, putting it in the "moderate" health risk category. An air quality warning for Flin Flon issued on Monday morning stated: "During heavy smoke conditions, everyone's health is at risk regardless of their age or health status." The scale comprises four categories, ranging from "low" health risk to "very high." The AQHI values are grouped into these categories, with any value from one to three deemed a low health risk to the general public and a value of 10 or more posing a very high risk. In Winnipeg, the AQHI was at four, posing a "moderate" health risk. In Saskatchewan, most regions were observed to have AQHI values at "low risk" on Monday evening. Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie in Alberta were at seven and eight, respectively, putting them in the "high risk" category. Air quality can vary from hour to hour, and smoke conditions can change over short distances, an air quality statement for Grand Rapids and Easterville in Manitoba stated. Who will be most affected? According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, the people who are at the highest risk of facing health impacts due to low air quality caused by wildfire smoke include: Seniors. Young children. Pregnant women. People who work outdoors. People involved in strenuous outdoor activities. People with chronic health conditions, such as: Cancer. Diabetes. Lung or heart conditions, including asthma. Mental illness. When AQHI values are at "moderate" to "very high risk" levels, those who are at higher risk are advised to reduce or completely avoid strenuous outdoor activities entirely. What are long-term effects of wildfire smoke exposure? In a fact sheet about the health effects of wildfire smoke, the B.C. Centre for Disease Control stated that smoky air can increase the risk of ear infections in children and pneumonia COVID-19. The centre lists portable air cleaners with HEPA filters as a way to remove smoke particles from indoor air. It also recommends keeping car windows closed when driving and air conditioners turned on to limit letting in outside air as much as possible. According to a 2024 report by Health Canada's Water and Air Quality Bureau, there was "strong and consistent evidence" that wildfire smoke exposure can cause "premature mortality" and respiratory issues.
Globe and Mail
2 days ago
- Climate
- Globe and Mail
Saskatchewan issues evacuation order for town of La Ronge as wildfire breaches airport
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency says the northern town of La Ronge has ordered an evacuation due to a wildfire that has breached the airport. It says the fire is fast moving and that people in the town, as well as anyone within 20 kilometres, including nearby Air Ronge and the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, must leave immediately. The agency says anyone who can self-evacuate and find their own accommodation must use Highway 2 and register at the Days Inn in Prince Albert, about 240 kilometres to the south. Wildfire smoke map: Which parts of Canada are under air quality warnings? Others who need transportation are being directed to the JRMCC Centre in La Ronge. La Ronge has a population of about 2,500. As of Monday, 18 fires were burning in Saskatchewan, with seven of them not contained. Evacuation orders are already in effect for several other northern communities in the province, including Pelican Narrows, East Trout Lake and Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation.
