The strong winds that push a forest fire towards the areas of the Industrial Park and the Point de Eagle, just northeast of the city of La Ronge, caused an alert for the region on Friday morning.
The community is already subject to an evacuation order, but to any people who have not left those areas in particular, they were told to reach a safe place.
Tammy Cook-Searson, head of the Indian Band Lac la Ronge, said the situation is serious and unpredictable.
“The wind has changed. It comes from the southwest at this time and is pushing the fire northeast,” he said.
Cook-Searson said that Pisew Fire, which began near Lake Hall, since then has grown up to threaten several surrounding communities. There have been significant losses in the structure both in Hall Lake, west of the Ronge and in the Sucker River, north of the Ronge, due to the fire.
“The fire is less than two kilometers north of Sucker River and goes to the Northeast,” he said. “And then there is also the fire that has reached Cambridge, where the bridge has burned and the structure has been lost there and moves to the northwest.”
Cook-Searson confirmed that both highway 2 and highway 102 are currently closed and impassable due to forest fire activity.
Any people who are still in the Ronge are being directed to the Jonas Roberts Memorial Community Center, which are serving as a local meeting point.
“At this time it is unpredictable,” said Cook-Searson. “The flames were quite large this morning just before 5 am just behind the fire base on the industrial road in the city of La Ronge.”
More than 30,000 people in Manitoba and Saskatchewan have now left their homes as forest fires out of control advance in multiple communities. On the border, several fires merged to almost surround Flin Flon, Man., And Creighton, Sask.
Cook-Searson said emergency teams are working hard to keep the line.
“We expect the rain from noon today,” he added. “So I hope you materialize and the crossed fingers that we have that rain, very necessary rain, because the fires are out of control.”
Residents are urged to stay away from the area and continue after the evacuation orientation of local officials and emergency services.
Celebrating even in difficult times
Despite difficulties and danger, some evacuated have found small ways to stay hopeful.
Some drivers who fled the Ronge earlier for the week were forced to wait hours on the road due to smoke and fire.
That’s where Terri Roberts and others met a friend, whose granddaughter was having a birthday. They brought the cake and sang there on the road.
“He was holding his cake and we all began to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to her outside the car,” Roberts said. “I have never experienced something like that, but it was quite emotional.”
“I was full of smiles and we could see that I was quite grateful for what we did for her.”
Roberts says they finally arrived in a safe place.
Families who have evacuated their homes due to forest fires in northern Saskatchewan are finding any way they can to keep their children busy and their minds outside the fires.
Updated information about active fires, smoke and related topics is available in these sources:
