Candle Lake prepares for imminent fire threat; restaurant closes to serve firefighters only

The massive Shoe fire could reach the Resort Village of Candle Lake within the next three to 10 days, depending on the weather, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency says.

The fire is less than 12 kilometres from the village, Mayor Colleen Lavoie said in an interview Friday.

Emergency services workers have been going door to door, removing flammable materials such as propane tanks and gas cans. A mandatory evacuation order has not been issued yet. However, there is a state of emergency and a voluntary evacuation request, with the village encouraging anyone who is not an essential worker to leave.

The Shoe fire, first reported a month ago on May 7, has burned almost 500,000 hectares of land. 

"It's advancing slowly, so I'm hoping we have up to three to five days, maybe a little longer depending on if we have favourable winds," Lavoie said. 

"Everybody, please, fire smart your homes. So make sure there's nothing combustible around your home, even if you have to move it out by the road, by the driveway, where it's away from your house. That would be helpful," she said. 

Firebreaks have been completed in several areas surrounding the community, with more nearing completion. Additional firebreaks and backburns are also being worked on. 

Weather may offer a reprieve as rain is in the forecast starting Saturday in areas of northern Saskatchewan, bringing 10 to 20 millimetres of precipitation, but there is also a chance of thunderstorms, said Christy Climenhaga, a scientist at Environment and Climate Change Canada. 

She said winds will be strong, gusting up to 50 to 60 kilometres per hour in the south on Saturday and then coming from the northwest. 

"Rain is beneficial when you are dealing with such dry conditions and active fire activity, so that will reduce the risk with cooler temperatures and a rainy day. But on the other hand, wind is something that we look at with wildfires because it can cause those fires to spread very quickly," Climenhaga said. 

She said much of Saskatchewan has had the driest spring on record this year, including in La Ronge, Prince Albert and North Battleford.

"June forecast has a drier note at least for parts of west-central and southwestern Saskatchewan and a slightly wetter note for northeastern Saskatchewan," she said. 

Climenhaga said that climate change increases the intensity and risk of wildfires. 

"What we know about climate change and our fire behaviour is that as the climate changes, we're expecting longer fire seasons and an increased frequency of intense seasons," she said.