The evacuated forest fires began returning to the Ronge, Air Ronge and several surrounding communities in northern Saskatchewan on Thursday.
The local evacuation order was officially lifted at 8 am CST.
Speaking in the Ronge on Thursday, the head of the Indian band of Lac La Ronge, Tammy Cook-Searson, said that the community members will need to prepare for the damage they will probably see.
“It is devastating and it will be difficult for the members of our community when they get home,” he said. “But we will be here with them, and we will help rebuild, and we will be here to support them anyway we can.
“It’s going to take time to heal.”
Residents who return to the Ronge, Air Ronge and several surrounding communities will now have to deal with the physical, mental and financial damage that the forest fire inflicted.
Melanie Dziki, who returned home on Thursday, said she was happy to return.
“I’m happy to have a house,” he said. “I am proud and happy to see the members of my community and my neighbors who stayed, fought very hard, and we have a home to return.”
30 intentionally established fires: SPSA
On Thursday afternoon, the Public Security Agency of Saskatchewan (SPSA) reported 23 active forest fires in the province. Of these, only three were classified as content.
In total, there have been 258 forest fires this year in Saskatchewan, well above the historical average of 147 fires typically seen for this moment of June. From this year’s fires, 44 were caused by lightning, and the remaining caused by recreational fires that got out of control, industrial activity and fire caused.
The SPSA believes that approximately 30 fires were established intentionally.
Maurice Ratt, who works with the emergency management of the first nations outside Prince Albert and is a former fire chief in Sucker River, said that SPSA’s limited approach for fire fighting caused unnecessary damage to Sucker River.
He said he traveled with a fire team to Sucker River when forest fires initially exploded, but was arrested in an obstacle for several hours.
“I feel very devastated,” he said Thursday. “I am still quite emotional, because knowing that we could have saved these houses if we were allowed in the obstacle, but we were not. In 2015 you could go through the roads without problems to protect the community.”
Hospital for reopening
In addition to the companies, the Saskatchewan health authority announced Thursday that the Emergency Department of the Ronge Health Center had reopened, with acute care and long term to follow.
As of Friday, the Health Center may accommodate services for hospitalized patients. Other services such as ambulances, home care and detoxification will have some availability during the weekend.
The SHA said it will focus on restoring acute care and long term from June 16, along with mental health support. Patients with acute care needs will be prioritized in deployment, followed by long -term residents.
Businesses that fight
Matthew Maurer says that local businesses are being depleted emotionally and financially, without support from the provincial government.
“Our grocery stores that have no food, need to resume. We have business owners who stayed to provide these essential services, and are burned, they are exhausted,” said Matthew Maurer, president of the Ronge Chamber of Commerce and the Nikik Solution District, Solutions, at a Press Conference from NDP in Saskatoon on Wednesday.
Maurer joined Saskatchewan’s opposition call to Prime Minister Scott Moe for immediate support for small businesses impacted by forest fires.
He said that many of the companies are executed in tourism and face canceled reservations and lost summer income.
The plea occurred a few days after the provincial defender criticized the government’s response to forest fire evacuations.
Evacuation orders are still in force for some communities in the north and many companies have now been closed for more than two weeks, including restaurants, cabins, hotels, fishing cabins, rooms and locker room, most of which depend in the summer months and tourism to stay afloat.
“It is the maximum season of tourism, and the tourist economy is a large part of our economy in northern Saskatchewan. The teams, their customers cannot go to them. If the roads are closed, they cannot get there and are receiving great success,” Maurer said.
The province announced some support for those evacuated on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Scott Moe said at a press conference that any person over 18 who lives in an evacuated community will get $ 500.
Payment is intended to help evacuated to cover immediate costs during their time away from home and expenses linked to return once it is safe to do so.
Emergency funds will be distributed through local leadership, including municipalities and the first nations, in a movement that Moe described as an “association with the leadership of our community.”
NDP requires immediate relief
The NDP requested several immediate measures focused specifically on companies:
- A subsidy program to help companies remain afloat during the forest fire crisis, especially for seasonal companies such as tourism and equipment.
- Postponed on provincial taxes and rates.
- Accelerated SGI claims.
- Zero interest in tax arrears.
“Support for small businesses in neighboring Alberta, which has also seen thousands evacuated due to forest fires are being provided. We need the same here,” said Economy Jobs and Economy’s criticism, Aleana Young.
She said that some business owners have had to take advantage of personal savings to survive, and that others do not have income at all, but are still working to support firefighters and evacuated.
Among the impacted companies are Robertson Trading, a milestone from the ronge that caught fire during forest fires, taking with you history and culture that Maurer describes as invaluable. Although Robertson Trading officially closed on December 31, 2023, he had been opening periodically since then.
“You can’t put a price on that,” he said. “It feels everywhere, not only in the community, but I know anywhere else. Anyone who has visited the Ronge has felt the impact of the loss.”
It is the end of an era for an iconic store in northern Saskatchewan. After 56 years, Robertson Trading is closing. One of its greatest legacies is the impressive collection of taxidermized animals, indigenous art and antiques from the floor to the ceiling.
Updated information about active fires, smoke and related topics is available in these sources:
