300 residents of Fond du Lac evacuated due to wildfire smoke

By Nigel Maxwell

As wildfire smoke near their community intensifies, approximately 300 members of the Fond du Lac Denesuline Nation have been evacuated.

According to a statement Tuesday night from Chief Kevin Mercredi, the community, with assistance from its health partners, acted quickly to move the most at-risk people in the community to safety.

“This team effort makes sure our people’s health and safety are our top priority,” he said.

As of Wednesday morning, Environment Canada had special air quality statements in place for the northern half of Saskatchewan.

The decision to activate came after the Fond du Lac Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was set up on July 26.

Many groups are working together, including the Athabasca Health Authority, Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority, Prince Albert Grand Council, Saskatchewan First Nations Emergency Management, Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, Canadian Red Cross, and Indigenous Services Canada.

The evacuation is focused on individuals with compromised cardio-respiratory conditions and other health issues, as assessed by local health experts. The Canadian Red Cross is playing a vital role in this effort by providing hotel accommodations and other essential services in Saskatoon for the evacuated members.

“Working together with partners in our region is key to giving the help that’s needed — we’re grateful for everyone’s help, and we’ll keep watching what’s happening and do what needs to be done,” Mercredi said.

“Once it’s safe, we will start the process of bringing everyone back home. Our people’s safety will always be our main concern, and we will make sure everything is safe before we begin this process.”

The Fond du Lac Denesuline Nation is located at Lake Athabasca’s northeast end, between Uranium City and Stony Rapids. The band’s land covers 36,812 hectares, with a population of about 2,300 — more than 900 on reserve and around 1,300 to 1,400 off reserve.

During a Tuesday media conference, Steve Roberts, vice-president of operations with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, addressed the fire causing the smoke.

“As of the last 24 hours, we have started to receive rain on that fire, so that’s going to make significant improvements on the actions there,” he said.

As of Tuesday, there have been 370 wildfires in the province so far this year. That’s above the five-year average of 312, but below the 10-year average of 415.

There are 54 active wildfires burning in the province. That includes 34 that are currently under assessment, three fires that are contained, 11 that involve protected properties, and six that aren’t yet contained.

Many of the wildfires that were started are man-made. Roberts encouraged people to make smart choices as we head into the August long weekend.

“The behaviour of the citizens of Saskatchewan make a big difference to our wildfire season and the amount of impact we will have,” said Roberts.

That starts with being careful while lighting campfires and fireworks in certain areas, and also while when using ATVs and letting them idle in dry areas.

— With files from 980 CJME’s Gillian Massie