The provincial government said on Saturday there were 114 active fires burning in the province. The most recent evacuations are around the town of La Ronge, about 600 km (370 miles) north of the provincial capital, Regina.
Saskatchewan’s commissioner of emergency management, Duane McKay, told media that some 1,000 military personnel are being deployed to the province, with some of them expected to arrive today. McKay added that being a soldier is a bit different than being a firefighter, so additional training may be needed.
In a conference call Saturday afternoon, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall confirmed he spoke with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who promised support. “The prime minister was very accommodating and willing to make sure that, upon official request, the resources are there,” Wall said, according to the CBC News.
Wall added, “There might be some other need for Canadian Forces personnel, especially to help with what are significant logistical demands as a result of a very large general evacuation.”
Evacuation Order and State of Emergency
The provincial fire commissioner issued the evacuation order for the La Ronge area after a similar order was given earlier in the day for the Lac La Ronge Indian Band.
The affected areas include the La Ronge, Air Ronge and the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, all within a zone of about 200 km north of Prince Albert. The number of people involved in this evacuation is greater than the 2011 evacuation of Slave Lake, Alberta, where a wildfire forced 7,000 people from their homes, and 40 percent of Slave Lake was destroyed.
In a statement, the provincial fire commissioner said: “This evacuation has been triggered by a number of wildfires in the area, which are blowing smoke and particulate matter into and around the communities.” Most of the evacuees are driving to Alberta, but some will be transported by bus or stay with family or friends.
Around the same time as Wall’s conference call, officials of the First Nations community of Montreal Lake, about 120 km to the south of La Ronge, declared their own state of emergency because of the wildfires in their area.
“A demand for immediate action is requested of the government of Canada, including the military, and the government of Saskatchewan in controlling the wildfires threatening the communities at risk,” the group said in a statement emailed to media.
Later in the day, the state of emergency issued by the First Nations group was extended to include all of central and northern Saskatchewan. Reuters is reporting the Saskatchewan government says the province had faced 569 wildfires so far this season, compared with 193 in 2014.
Evacuations in British Columbia
Evacuation orders are in place for several communities in B.C., as some old and new wildfires have created a local state of emergency in Port Hardy. A fire burning about 1.5 km from Port Hardy all of a sudden doubled in size on Friday.
The evacuation order issued on Friday has now been expanded, affecting about 100 homes along Mayors Way and Upper Carnarvon down to Park Drive. 140 homes near Kelowna were evacuated Friday after the 80-hectare Huckleberry fire began, and another 158 homes are on evacuation alert, according to the Weather Network.
