Evacuees await return home as wildfires continue to rage in northern Saskatchewan
'We love our community … if we were to lose it, we would be lost': Birch Narrows Dene Nation evacuee
Residents of several northern Saskatchewan communities forced to leave because of a pair of wildfires are still waiting to return home.
Sandy Bay, a remote reserve community about 474 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, ordered an evacuation last week. On Monday, the Northern Village of Sandy Bay — the related off-reserve community — declared a state of emergency dating back a week, according to Mayor Gertrude Bear.
Both are threatened by the Flanagan fire which, according to the most recent report from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), is about 193 square kilometres. For comparison, the city of Regina is 178 square kilometres.
Meanwhile another fire, this one about 158 square kilometres, is threatening the Northern Hamlet of Turnor Lake and Birch Narrows Dene Nation in northwestern Saskatchewan.
Maggie Hunter was evacuated from Sandy Bay on Wednesday and is now in Saskatoon.
"I was just worried about my home, whether I'm going to have one when I get back," Hunter said.
So far, Hunter's home has been untouched. Her son is staying there and cooking for community members who have remained.
Duane Hiebert, the manager of emergency services for Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, said about 218 band members are still in Sandy Bay between those working to protect it, security and cooks.
About 110 families are still in Sandy Bay by choice.
Hiebert said the fire line is about two to three kilometres away from Sandy Bay.
"What we heard from SPSA this morning is that they were very confident that they would be able to hold the line there," he said.
Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation is comprised of several northern communities, including Sandy Bay and Deschambault Lake.
Some members of Deschambault Lake with health conditions have also been taken away because of how smoke from a separate wildfire is affecting them. Hiebert said the nearby Arm wildfire is about 14 kilometres from the community and 11 kilometres from the community's only access road.
About 30 people from Sandy Bay are being housed in Prince Albert, Hiebert said, along with about 90 from Deschambault Lake.
He said there are more than 900 members from Sandy Bay in Saskatoon. All are receiving support from the Canadian Red Cross.
Others who left Sandy Bay, which has a total population of about 1,800 people, are staying with family and friends.
If more people are evacuated from Deschambault Lake, there's a possibility they will have to look to congregate living settings, something the Canadian Red Cross said is not an option for people with compromised immune systems, according to Hiebert.
"With the evacuees coming out, hotel rooms are becoming premium," he said.
To the west, about 499 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon, the communities of Turnor Lake and Birch Narrows Dene Nation — which are nestled together — are also under an evacuation order.
Rebecca Lemaigre arrived in Cold Lake, Alta., after leaving Birch Narrows Dene Nation on Thursday. She is also aiding evacuees as part of the support staff, helping people get food and providing children with toys.
"The night before, I think I didn't get any rest at all, because imagine staring at a wall of fire coming toward the community," she said.
"We love our community, it's where we grew up, it's where we have so much memories and if we were to lose it, we would be lost."
Lamaigre said she has experience as a firefighter and, along with others, was ready to fight the blaze.
"We weren't going to let it come into our community," she said.
The evacuation was initially difficult for those who rushed out of the community and left clothes, medications and items behind, Lamaigre said, but people have begun settling in and reacquiring those items. She also said some people have enjoyed spending time close to other community members.
Lamaigre praised the leadership and the firefighters from the community.
Both Sandy Bay and Turnor Lake have had Canada Post mail delivery service suspended because of the evacuation orders.
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With files from Aishwarya Dudha