Several Sask. communities lift evacuation orders after wildfires deemed contained

Several communities in Saskatchewan have lifted their evacuation orders Sunday as large nearby wildfires have been contained.

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) was monitoring three particular wildfires, labelled Local, Saulteaux and Rocky. The fires had forced residents from communities such as La Loche, Sask., and Saulteaux First Nation to evacuate their homes, seeking refuge in places like Regina, Prince Albert and Lloydminster, among others.

Each fire was classified as contained and no longer of note as of 11 a.m. Sunday, according to a bulletin issued by the SPSA intelligence and situational awareness unit. As a result, communities are lifting their evacuation orders.

"All support entities or volunteers have now departed the scene. Families who were evacuated are currently en route back home," says a memo posted on the Saulteaux First Nation Facebook page.

The Saulteaux wildfire, which consisted of multiple fires burning west of Cochin, Sask., near Saulteaux First Nation and Moosomin First Nation, had grown up to 5,000 hectares, according to the SPSA.

The memo Saulteaux First Nation posted, however, suggested that all fires near the reserve were extinguished as of Sunday morning.

More than 100 people were evacuated from Saulteaux First Nation, located about 155 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon.

During the course of the firefighting, the federal government issued a "do not consume" water advisory, suspending water treatment plant operations to maintain the water reservoir supply for firefighters.

The Northern Village of La Loche has ended its state of local emergency, following a meeting with emergency personnel Sunday morning.

The Local wildfire, burning north of La Loche and south of Clearwater River Dene Nation, had grown to 266 hectares, but has since been contained, according to Sunday's SPSA bulletin.

Many residents from both communities were displaced after each issued evacuation orders earlier this week.

The evacuation order for La Loche residents is lifted through the village terminating its state of local emergency, according to a Facebook post from the community. Evacuees in Regina are scheduled to leave the capital city by bus Sunday evening and arrive home Monday morning.

"I'm thrilled," Mayor Georgina Jolibois told CBC News. "The community is extremely happy to hear the news of the evacuation being lifted."

The decision was made collectively after aerial footage showed hot spots were extinguished, she said, but the footage also showed how close the fire had gotten.