powered by:
valneva canada inc.
second pbcn community in northern sask. evacuated due to wildfires
over 700 evacuated from southend as 28,355-hectare blaze threatens the only road in and out of the first nation community.
aug 29 2024
3 minute read
a wildfire blazes beyond a tree line in the la ronge, sask., area in this july 5, 2015 handout photo. fires and smoke have forced about 9,000 people from their homes in more than 50 communities in the northern part of the province.
corey hardcastle
/
the canadian press
members of a second peter ballantyne cree nation (pbcn) community in northern saskatchewan have had to evacuate due to ongoing wildfires within the last month.
more than 700 people from the northeast community of southend have been forced to leave as an out-of-control wildfire threatens the only access road in or out, said a statement issued by the first nation on wednesday night.
entry into the community has been limited to essential services only.
“the safety of our members is our top priority,” pbcn chief peter beatty said in the statement. “given the current conditions and the fire’s rapid movement, we are urging everyone in the affected areas to evacuate immediately.”
some residents have elected to stay, moving to cabins near southend reindeer lake. beatty said the first nation is still providing support to those who remain.
the 28,355-hectare wildfire is moving at 50 km/h and is about 1.5 kilometres from highway 102 near the community, the first nation reported on wednesday.
the saskatchewan public safety agency (spsa) said the wildfire is approximately 14 kilometres from southend. so far, no damage to property or infrastructure such as power lines has been reported.
advertisement
advertisement
saskatchewan public safety agency vice-president steve roberts said it’s been unusually hot and dry in the northeast.
“the province has had this long period of hot, dry weather in recent weeks that has moderated in almost all areas of the province except that area northeast of lac la ronge,” roberts said in an interview thursday. “even though they’re getting some light showers, they’re going to need some significant precipitation to manage those fires.”
as of 4 p.m. on wednesday, 556 high-priority people and 205 others from southend had been evacuated. the town is located about 220 kilometres north of la ronge and has a population of approximately 1,168.
“it is incredibly difficult to see so many of our people displaced from their homes once again,” beatty said in the first nation’s statement. “we are working closely with emergency services to ensure all residents are safely relocated.”
supplied photo of a 2024 saskatchewan wildfire from the saskatchewan public safety agency.
saskatchewan public safety agenc
/
reg
while the spsa said it’s doing everything it can to battle the blaze , beatty said more needs to be done to protect saskatchewan’s forests.
“these fires are not being addressed properly,” he said during a virtual press conference thursday afternoon, adding that the province’s methods of monitoring and assessing wildfires is flawed.
advertisement
advertisement
“it’s unnecessary for this to happen … there are huge swaths of northern saskatchewan that have burnt up and will continue to burn until winter. if nothing is changed, we’re going to go through the same thing again next year.”
beatty also expressed concern for his people’s livelihoods; the wildfire affects hunting and trap lines, critical food sources for the communities.
this is the second time in two weeks that members of a pbcn community have had to leave due to wildfires.
about 1,400 people evacuated from sandy bay on aug. 13 have not been able to return as a 82,169-hectare blaze continues to burn out of control near the community, which is located further southeast by the saskatchewan-manitoba border.
a partial evacuation order was also issued for the pbcn community of deschambault lake first nation around the same time, due to poor air quality from wildfire smoke.
roberts said crews have been “extremely successful” on the eastern side of the province, where fire has been held to prevent threat to nearby communities. any growth from the fire has been in the northern section, away from property and infrastructure.
because the area is remote with no road access, roberts said crews are primarily using aerial tactics to fight the fire, as they can’t drive in with large equipment.
advertisement
advertisement
while the fire season typically fizzles out by the end of august, seasonal contract extensions have been offered to spsa crews across the province until at least the end of september.
“we’re probably the busiest in canada at this time,” roberts said. “i know some folks are going to be shifting their mindset a little bit and think about fall hunting and gathering activities, but we still have significant fire hazard in some parts of the province that should be recognized while people are out there.
“just be a bit extra cautious this year.”
the spsa said 66 active wildfires are burning in the province, 12 of which are not contained.
share story
