With a massive nearby wildfire showing no signs of slowing down, the Resort Village of Candle Lake has Declared a State of Emergency.
As per the latest update from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), the Shoe Fire is now less than 14 km from Candle Lake and is about 470,000 hectares (1,161,395 acres in size. That is bigger than the entirety of Prince Albert National Park.)
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Tuesday’s notice went out just after 3 p.m. and allows for the village to make decisions quickly and access disaster relief funding. It also gives the council the authority to order a mandatory evacuation.
The SPSA suggests no mandatory evacuation is recommended and a voluntary evacuation advisory remains in effect.
While still voluntary, the resort village is recommending residents of Minowukaw to relocate outside their neighbourhood with friends and family. Values protection is now set up in Minowukaw.
If a mandatory evacuation order is issued it would be declared by the Resort Village of Candle Lake Council and only on the formal advice of the SPSA.
“Should that decision become necessary, we will provide residents with as much advance notice as conditions allow and will communicate detailed instructions through our website, e-news alerts, social media channels, and local media partners,” CAO Brent Lutz said.
Residents who would not have a place to go if a mandatory evacuation order is issued, are encouraged to contact the Resort Village as soon as possible.
— by Nigel Maxwell, with files from CKOM News
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