Creighton and Denare Beach, Sask., under evacuation alerts as out-of-control wildfire burns nearby
Residents told to pack emergency bags and be prepared to leave on short notice
People living in two northeastern Saskatchewan communities are being told to pack their bags and be ready to leave their homes on short notice as an out-of-control wildfire burns nearby.
The Wilson fire has prompted leaders in Creighton and Denare Beach to implement evacuation alerts. The fire threatening the two communities, located near the Manitoba border about 425 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, started on Wednesday evening.
Brandy Bloxom is among those standing by in Denare Beach.
"When I got on Facebook, it was all over the place and then we got the notice just to be prepared to evacuate on short notice," Bloxom said on Thursday.
"That's just kind of preparing us to pack and stuff. My husband's in the fire department, so he's been out there with them and opening up a road."
Firefighters in Creighton are monitoring the situation and water bombers are expected to be back up and running on Friday, said Mayor Bruce Fidler.
He said the town is not at immediate risk from the fire, which is about five to seven kilometres away from the community.
"It hasn't moved much toward the community, although it has grown in size somewhat. But the the winds have been favourable. So that was a big bonus for yesterday," Fidler said on Friday morning.
He said Creighton got a "fair bit" of rain early Friday, which he believes was helpful in keeping the flames away from the town. However, some lightning came with that rain.
Fidler said the fire was estimated to be 300 hectares in size Thursday evening. He said Creighton residents are anxious.
"Of course, you know, people are worried somewhat and, I mean, that's just normal. But overall it's been good," said Fidler.
He said the fire is tough to access, and ground crews were not able to go into the area Thursday.
"They are hoping to get some in very soon to work on the ground to attack it as well."
Creighton's fire and public works department has set up sprinklers on some of the town's infrastructure as a precautionary measure. Residents are being asked to conserve water during the next few days, as the sprinklers are running on municipal water. Fidler added that the Creighton Fire Department is standing by to assist wildfire crews when needed.
Environment and Climate Change Canada still has air quality advisories in effect for all of northern Saskatchewan due to wildfire smoke.
Fidler said Creighton has been smoky, but the severity has been off and on depending on rain. The smoke was intense Friday morning, he said. Smoke could increase as the wind changes, so the town is opening a fresh air centre at the Sportex arena for vulnerable people on Friday.
"Anybody that is having breathing issues or anything like that is welcome to come over there and they can stay there as long as need be. It's important that we do what we can for everybody," Fidler said.
Smoke an issue for English River First Nation
Meanwhile, residents on the La Plonge reserve, part of English River First Nation in northwest Saskatchewan, are experiencing smoke from the Bella fire, which is about 16 kilometres east of them.
Candyce Paul, emergency management team command for English River First Nation-La Plonge, said the communities are not currently at risk of evacuation due to the fire, but they are ready.
"It hasn't really grown that much in our direction because the winds have been in our favour, but that could always change," Paul said on Friday afternoon.
"And then there's always the risk of lightning strikes starting things up. And there was a big lightning storm last night, so we just have to watch to see if there's any startups anywhere closer."
Paul said the First Nation has dealt with evacuation notices consistently since 2015, and had to evacuate last year due to heavy smoke. But she said this year they will not evacuate unless fire is imminent.
"In the interim, we have purchased a lot of air purifiers for those with chronic health conditions. That has made a big difference. They're able to stay in their home without experiencing any health issues because of the smoke," she said.
SaskTel internet is currently not working in about 40 homes in La Plonge due to Thursday evening's storm, according to Paul. She said this has made it difficult for her to communicate fire updates through Facebook with the small communities in the area, which she tries to do at least twice daily.
"There's people who are very nervous and they don't want to be put in a position to run. So our goal is to make sure they have enough knowledge," said Paul, adding that the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency is in contact with her in case the Bella fire worsens.
The Wilson and Bella fires are two of 86 active wildfires in Saskatchewan as of 5 p.m. CST on Friday.
Twenty-three of those fires are out of control, according to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency's (SPSA) website.
The SPSA said nine of the active fires are contained, while 43 are being monitored regularly to assess the risk in the area. Action is being take to protect cabins and infrastructure around the 11 remaining fires.
Dry and hot conditions in the province prompted the SPSA to issue a fire ban on Thursday in certain areas to reduce the risk of wildfires. It's expected to remain in place until the conditions change or the ongoing wildfires become more manageable.
The provincial fire ban encompasses:
- Crown lands.
- Provincial parks.
- Provincial recreation sites.
- Land within 4.5 kilometres of a provincial forest boundary.
- The Northern Saskatchewan Administration District (a regional title for the northern half of the province).
