Some Saskatchewan wildfire evacuees longing to go back home, but others returning say it's bittersweet

Joan Beatty is having trouble recognizing her home community of Deschambault Lake in northeastern Saskatchewan.

A wildfire burning just south of the community of about 1,200 people had burned 4,605.4 hectares as of Thursday, according to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.

The agency said the fire burning near Deschambault Lake, a community located about 245 kilometres northeast of Prince Albert, is one of 24 active burning fires in the province. Six of them are not contained. 

Beatty estimates about 900 Deschambault Lake residents have left the community since the wildfire became a concern last week. She is one of the few still there.

"Our community feels like it's not alive. There's not very many people here, except for essential workers and local leadership," she said Thursday.

"But it's busy with the helicopters flying above us and the CAT operators [who were] staying with us."

Beatty, who is chair of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation health board, said the wildfire being so close to the community has been frightening.

"It was really, really scary to hear it roar," Beatty said. "There is lines of vehicles going out and the fire had jumped across the road to the left side — you could see it jumping. So it's just out of control."

Beatty said evacuees from her community who are staying in Prince Albert and Saskatoon want to come home.

The community is seeing a bit of an improvement in the fire situation on Thursday after some much-needed rain, she said.

"This is the first time we had a bit of rain. It's just answered a prayer — I can even hear the robin singing," Beatty said.

Returning home bittersweet for some

Boarding the bus in Regina on Wednesday to make the nine-hour drive back home was bittersweet for some of the wildfire evacuees.

Verna Caisse and her family spent eight days in Regina waiting for the air quality to improve in Île-à-la-Crosse.

The northern community rescinded its evacuation order on Wednesday, though its emergency declaration will stay until at least May 28.

Caisse said she's grateful for the support evacuees received at the University of Regina — but worried about what she's returning home to.

"All of our stuff must have spoiled in our freezers and deep freezes, so I don't know what I'm going to do," Caisse said. "But the community is really good in Île-à-la-Crosse, they'll help us out."

Caisse's young son Cash said it was a bit of a scary experience evacuating to Regina — but now he doesn't want to leave.

"They feed us, they treat us really good. It's really cool here, I just want to stay here," Cash said.   

Île-à-la-Crosse resident Jerry McCallum came to Regina alone and said evacuees from different areas of northern Saskatchewan created a community at the university. 

"It was like a little town here, all of us living in this place.... We all got along well," McCallum said.

"The fire was not good, it's too bad — but that's just the way things are. Hopefully we don't have to go through something like a fire [again]." 

As of Wednesday, many of the wildfire evacuees from Buffalo Narrows in northwestern Saskatchewan were staying put at the University of Regina until the fire situation near their community improves.

Île-à-la-Crosse and Buffalo Narrows are among the regions in northern Saskatchewan where Environment Canada special air quality statements remain in effect.

Fire ban lifted

On Wednesday, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency lifted a provincial fire ban for all Crown lands, provincial parks and the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District north of Highway 16 because of recent rain and cooler temperatures. The ban had been in place since May 16.

The agency said pairs of air scrubber units were assigned to improve air quality in the communities of Jans Bay, Île-à-la-Crosse, Beauval, Dillon, St. George's Hill and Buffalo Narrows, with 10 more on the way to areas in northern Saskatchewan — including six going to Île-à-la-Crosse.

There have been 187 wildfires in Saskatchewan in 2023. The five-year average is 111 wildfires for this time of year.

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency said it continues to support evacuees from northern villages and First Nations in Regina, Lloydminster and North Battleford.