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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
La Loche: 'Unacceptable' for SPSA to turn back wildfire evacuees due to confusion about smoke levels
After confusion over when an evacuation is merited, vulnerable residents from the village of La Loche were able to travel south to Regina over the weekend, escaping heavy smoke from a nearby wildfire. The La Loche village council declared a local state of emergency on Aug. 1 and issued a mandatory evacuation order due to threats and 'extreme smoke' from the Park fire, according to documents posted to its Facebook page. The controversy began two days later as two loaded buses were initially 'not allowed to leave' by the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), says a Facebook post on the Village of La Loche's official page. It is signed by the village administrator, Martha Morin. 'It was strongly expressed to them that a policy decision like this should not be enacted mid-way through an evacuation, especially with no consultation with the community,' Morin said in the post, which summarized the incident from the village's perspective. It went on to note that village officials met with SPSA officials leading the transportation effort and that the residents who had been on the loaded buses were allowed to leave. SPSA vice-president of operations Steve Roberts addressed the situation on Wednesday during a wildfire update with media, clarifying that the confusion came from whether there was enough of a smoke threat to warrant evacuations on Sunday. When asked, he did not provide details on what criteria would prompt a smoke-related evacuation. '… cancelling bus transportation after we had (residents) loaded and ready to leave was unacceptable. Especially since most qualify as (Priority 1 and Priority 2) residents,' Morin posted to the village's social media account on Sunday evening. Priority 1 is a designation for an individual deemed to be medically compromised, which could include someone who is receiving in-patient or out-patient care, according to information provided by the SPSA. The Priority 2 category includes primary caregivers of a Priority 1 individual or someone that is in close relation to a Priority 1 individual, such as children of a pregnant mother. La Loche also conveyed to the provincial agency that its 'Health Centre is not functional' and the stores in the community are 'short-staffed and running out of supplies.' The Regina Leader-Post attempted to reach the Village of La Loche before publication but did not receive a response. The village has posted regular updates on social media since the weekend, including information for evacuees, while also noting that fire mitigation efforts were going well. Its Facebook post on Sunday night suggested the buses were held up because of new criteria in the SPSA's policies related to smoke. However, that was refuted by an SPSA spokesperson who said there have been 'no changes' to evacuation criteria or policies. 'The SPSA is looking into how and where this misinformation developed,' said the statement, which added that the organization's president, Marlo Pritchard, met with La Loche leadership to 'discuss and clarify the misinformation. In the meantime, the SPSA is taking steps to ensure better communication with communities going forward.' Roberts said Wednesday that the SPSA takes a number of factors into consideration when supporting an evacuation. Health-related concerns such as air quality are assessed by the Ministry of Health and provided directly to communities, he said, adding that it then becomes a 'community-based decision' whether to evacuate due to smoke. The SPSA said it is currently supporting over 350 evacuees from La Loche, providing basic necessities such as accommodation, food and health services. The Park fire is approximately 10 kilometres north of La Loche's north boundary, according to the SPSA's interactive wildfire map as of Wednesday afternoon. The uncontained fire, which was first reported on June 28, has grown to over 63,000 hectares. Around 500 residents from northern Saskatchewan were displaced over the weekend due to wildfires, including residents from Clearwater River Dene Nation, which is about 10 kilometres north of La Loche. Related What Saskatchewan wildfire evacuees need to know before heading home Wildfire forces evacuation of 500 from First Nation in northern Saskatchewan nyking@ The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
CBC
6 days ago
- General
- CBC
Turned around: How a miscommunication sent La Loche evacuees back home
Social Sharing The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) is clearing the air after a recent miscommunication with community leaders led to two buses of evacuees from La Loche, Sask., being turned around Sunday. Community leaders from La Loche, which is about 515 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon, spoke out about the miscommunication on Facebook Sunday evening, saying the SPSA "refused" buses that were supposed to be transporting evacuees to Regina. A post from community administrator Martha Morin Sunday said the SPSA had changed their policy around evacuation and heavy smoke was no longer a reason to evacuate. Community leaders "strongly" expressed to the SPSA that a policy change should not be enacted mid-way through an evacuation, the post said. They also said most of those being evacuated had qualified as Priority 1 and 2 residents. La Loche's mayor also took to Facebook on Sunday evening to address the matter. "I'll tell you guys right here that the whole council, myself and the entire council, we're all frustrated," Lyle Herman said in a Facebook live Sunday night. Herman said he did not know why the buses had been called off, but he knew it had been done by the SPSA. "People were loaded, we have elders, we have children that were loaded," Herman said. "To be told to get off the bus, that is unacceptable, that should have never happened." The community advised those evacuees that the buses would return to the community to pick them up and take them to Regina, according to a Sunday night Facebook post. Many variables to consider: SPSA Steve Roberts, the agency's vice president, spoke about the incident in a Wednesday wildfire update. "The Public Safety Agency was the support unit, and did turn and hold the buses back and ask people to debark until discussions with community leadership on whether they wish to continue," Steve Roberts, the agency's vice president, said in a Wednesday wildfire update. Roberts said an email had been sent out to community leaders talking about smoke evacuations, which led to a discussion on whether buses should be leaving the community due to smoke. "They did wish to continue, even though, again, there was no direct fire threat," he said. "So as soon as they made their decision, we continued to support them, and we evacuated their residents." Roberts said there are variables to consider when determining whether smoke is a threat and the SPSA does not make those decisions. Those assessments are carried out by the Ministry of Health and communicated directly to communities. "It's not just the air quality, it's what services are available to that local community to provide respite for those folks that could be impacted," he said. Preventive measures may also be introduced to address the smoke without having to do an evacuation. Guidelines are provided in those instances, Roberts said, and may include things like limiting outdoor activities and keeping your doors and windows closed. If a community still wishes to leave due to smoke and needs support, the SPSA will support them and move them out, he said. Roberts noted that when it does come to transporting evacuees out of a community, there is a lot of planning to do. "There will always be a delay with buses," he said. The agency has to consider what time the buses will leave, their final destination, when they will arrive and what evacuees will need along the way. "When you consider loading people in in La Loche and putting on a bus in the middle of the night to go all the way to Regina … you know, they may need food support," Roberts said. "They'll have to get registered and identify which of the four hotels that are on hold, which will they be getting rooms?" Roberts said planning is done alongside community leaders and issues could arise when they decide "on who they want to be evacuated, what direction they're providing to their own residents about the evacuation." Many questions involving where residents are being sent and for how long can only be answered by community leaders, Roberts said. "It is a community based decision," he said. "We work directly with local emergency operations centres in those communities, with our staff, to give them what support and information they require." There are currently 81 active wildfires in the province, with only eight listed as contained. "We have had scattered rain across the northern part of the province. That rain has not been significant," Roberts said. While there is improved fire behaviour, Roberts said there has been no significant change in the overall outlook of the wildfires in Saskatchewan's north. The province is still relying heavily on firefighting resources from Quebec, Mexico, Australia, British Columbia, Ontario and Prince Edward Island. Roberts said there are currently 190 Type 3 local firefighters assisting and 300 Armed Forces personnel in the province for at least another week. Roberts said 2.3 million hectares had burned in Saskatchewan as of 1:30 p.m. CST Wednesday, with many of the wildfires impeding on major highways, including Highway 955, Highway 914, Highway 916 and Highway 918. As a result, 13 communities remain under evacuation orders and 3,000 people have been displaced. "We have ongoing discussions with those community's leaders on fire behaviour, on the pending weather conditions and changes to those fires, access power utilities, and whether there may be opportunities for repatriation," Roberts said.
Toronto Sun
7 days ago
- Climate
- Toronto Sun
Wildfires force 500 more people out in northern Saskatchewan
Published Aug 05, 2025 • 1 minute read Residents from the La Loche region in northern Saskatchewan get off a bus and head into a hotel in Regina on Friday, May 5, 2023 after they were evacuated following ongoing wildfires in the region. The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency has provided a hotel and supports for evacuees as crews continue to fight the fire. Photo by Jeremy Simes / THE CANADIAN PRESS LA LOCHE — Wildfires raging in Saskatchewan have forced another 500 people from their homes. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency says fires over the long weekend caused residents of the village of La Loche, about 600 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon, to leave. It says there are now a total of about 4,000 wildfire evacuees in the province. La Loche administrator Martha Morin says on social media that residents can expect to remain out of their homes until the western side of a fire threatening the community is contained. She says firefighting efforts are going well, with rain and favourable winds expected later this week. Saskatchewan is reporting 82 active wildfires, including 16 that are uncontained. Columnists World Canada Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto & GTA
