150 people fled Buffalo Narrows, Sask., 100 more registered to leave, says councillor
CBC
Well over 100 Buffalo Narrows, Sask., residents have fled their homes due to a nearby wildfire, while those who have stayed breathe in poor air and are without electricity indefinitely.
The village about 430 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon issued a partial evacuation order Sunday. As of Monday, 150 people had fled and 100 more were registered to evacuate, Coun. Shaylee Gardiner told CBC News.
People who boarded buses to evacuate were sent to Lloydminster, while those who left on their own travelled to Prince Albert, Meadow Lake or Saskatoon, Gardiner said.
Thirty-five active wildfires are burning throughout the province, including eight that are not contained, said Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) officials Monday afternoon.
The Vermette and Shaw fires, each spanning at least 25,000 hectares, are burning just south of the hamlet of Dillon and Buffalo Narrows. They prompted several communities to issue full evacuation orders; the partial order from Buffalo Narrows only affects people with underlying chronic health conditions, seniors and families with children younger than two.
The SPSA is paying for hotels and accommodations, among other necessities, for the 95 people who had evacuated to Lloydminster from Buffalo Narrows, said Peter Boniface, SPSA executive director of aviation operations.
The agency is also working to support people who have found other accommodations, he added.
Indigenous Services Canada, meanwhile, is helping about 650 people from Buffalo River Dene Nation, which issued a full evacuation Saturday, who have fled to Lloydminster, according to a statement the ministry issued to news media Monday.
The evacuees will stay there until it is safe to return to the community, the statement says, adding that they will receive all required necessities and regular wellness checks.
The SPSA has also issued a travel advisory for the Montreal River area, north of Highway 2 and Junction 165, due to a nearby wildfire.
The agency is urging paddlers to not use that section, because it could pull firefighting resources from the ongoing wildfire, it said in a news release.
As of 6:30 p.m. CST Monday, the SPSA reported 162 wildfires so far this year — more than double the five-year running average, according to the province's wildfire dashboard.
The stark increase in fires stems from drought last fall and other weather, like the El Niño pattern, has left the soil dry, explained Bryan Chartrand, SPSA executive director of land operations. Strong winds have also been pushing flames, allowing fires to move quickly.
"It's just a combination of things affecting us from our last season to now," Chartrand said.