Wildfires in Saskatchewan led to highway closures, air quality statements and an expanded fire ban on Monday.
There were 19 active fires burning across the province as of Monday at 11 a.m. CST, with only six considered contained, according to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA).
Special air quality statements were put into effect Monday for all of northeastern Saskatchewan due to wildfire smoke.
As of Monday afternoon, Highway 3 south of Prince Albert was closed in both directions due to low visibility from smoke, as were Highways 106, 120, 912 and 913 northeast of Prince Albert in Narrow Hills Provincial Park. Highway 135,northeast of Pelican Narrows to Sandy Bay, was also closed. Updates are available on the Sask. Highway Hotline website.
RCMP are advising travellers to take alternate routes and avoid areas where there’s heavy smoke.
On Monday afternoon, the SPSA expanded its provincial fire ban to include all vacant Crown land and the provincial forest, including provincial parks and the Northern Saskatchewan Administrative District.
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Meanwhile, evacuation orders have been issued for areas threatened by wildfires, including Brabant Lake, Little Bear Lake, Lower Fishing Lake and East Trout Lake.
Pelican Narrows was put under a partial evacuation order Sunday due to a wildfire burning within a kilometre of the community, located about 400 kilometres northeast of Prince Albert.
The order applied to people with medical conditions and those who live in the northern half of the community. A registration centre was set up at the Pelican Narrows high school and buses were arranged Sunday night and Saturday morning to move people to Prince Albert.
Nic Swiderski owns a cabin at East Trout Lake that was built by his grandparents in 1970.
Swiderski said that by Sunday night, all residents were forced to leave their homes as a wildfire descended upon the area.
“Things were progressing pretty heavily,” he said.
“The sprinklers were running, there was nobody left and they expected [the fire] to hit sometime overnight, early morning.”
Highway 927, the only way in-and-out of East Trout Lake, was also closed due to the fire. Swiderski said the quick evacuation and road closure forced him to leave many of his belongings at the cabin.
“There’s a lot of sentimental stuff,” he said. “Actually both of my grandparents … their ashes are up there in the cabin right now.”
Swiderski said residents are grappling with the unknown, waiting for updates about possible damages.
“It’s never going to look the same, I’ve come to terms with that,” he said.
“The small boats we have at some of the little lakes that we’ve fished, I have come to terms with, you know, they’re likely gone.”
Nearby, Candle Lake is also starting to feel the impact of the wildfires. Many guests are changing their reservations or cancelling altogether, said Erin Ostlund, general manager for Candle Lake Golf Resort, in an email to CBC on Monday.
Ostlund said a lot of the surrounding areas have been evacuated.
“Evacuations include the emergency crews working in those affected areas, so we are seeing an influx of crews at the Candle Lake Golf Resort,” Ostland said.
The golf resort has put emergency plans in place for all staff and guests.
Officials continue to urge all residents and visitors in evacuation areas to leave immediately and check the SPSA’s website for updates.
