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For families with homes, cabins and trailers near the wildfires, watching the flames creep toward everything they love — from a distance — is “gut-wrenching.”
Ralph Danczak is one of them, he owns a trailer up at Piprell Lake.
“It’s tough. You just don’t know if it’s there or if it isn’t there.”
The Saskatchewan Active Wildfire Situation Map for May 27, 2025. (Government of Saskatchewan)
The Shoe Fire and Camp Fire both threaten the Candle Lake area which together are four times the size of Saskatoon.
As far as he knows, Danczak said the area around his trailer has already burned.
“It’s sad. It’s actually sad to know what’s going on up there and what’s going to be there when you are able to get back there.”
While Danczak said they know some trailers were lost there, he added they don’t know how many, who they belong too, or exactly what is fully left charred.
“It’s just tough. You don’t know until you get up there and it’s a matter of time before we can get up there.”
His family has had that trailer since 1974. It’s a second-generation getaway full of memories.
“Parents had the trailer and now we as kids have it and hopefully our kids can take it over… We will see.”
Candle Lake cabin owner
Shellie Bryant owns a cabin in the Candle Lake area and said high winds and converging fires have made her more concerned.
“Fire is unpredictable,” she said.
While the community is under a pre-evacuation notice, Bryant said she is moving her pontoon boat and camper trailer back to Saskatoon.
Bryant said she has contacted the manager of environmental emergencies with the province, but noted that updates are in the hands of the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.
“Candle Lake is a huge community and there’s beautiful homes up there,” she said, adding that it would be “devastating” to watch homes and businesses get lost in the fire.
Bryant said she knows individuals who have properties in East Trout Lake who told her their cabin will likely be lost in the blaze.
“It’s just impacting everything, so it starts to get a little bit scary.”
Bryant said neighbours are currently pulling boats from the water as the community prepares itself for “the worst.”
“Hopefully, we’ve over prepared.” she said.
— With files from 650 CKOM’s Mia Holowaychuk
