By Alex Soloducha

Evacuees wait to be transported to safety in Alberta

Jul 5, 2015 | 9:14 AM

Thousands of people were in for a rude awakening last night when a mandatory evacuation was called for the town of La Ronge.

Over 7,000 people from the tri-community area of La Ronge, Air Ronge and the Lac La Ronge Indian Band were forced to evacuate when the ‘Egg Fire’ drew nearer to the city, taking over the airport north of town.

Beginning Saturday evening, evacuees were urged to visit the Margo Fournier Centre to check in with Red Cross as they arrived in Prince Albert. Since then, they’ve been waiting to be transported to a more long-term emergency housing facility.

Prince Albert has taken all the evacuees they can with 300 people in emergency shelters, 450 in hotels and 1,200 staying with family and friends. 

This morning, it was announced that Cold Lake, Alta. will be taking evacuees.

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According Red Cross provincial manager Lise Anne Pierce, six buses are leaving per hour which are being gathered province-wide.

Eileen Charles said many feelings ran through her as she was told to pack up and head south.

“Crazy, hectic, scared,” she said.

Charles has four children, so she said that has added to the challenge.

“It just made things a lot crazier,” said Charles. “Trying to stay calm for the kids but, you know, the fear was there.”

Charles said she’ll be staying in Prince Albert to wait for her husband who is flying in from working at Cigar Lake.

Marylee Ratt and her four kids made the trip on Saturday night as well.

“It’s crazy,” she said of the situation. “I wish we could all just go home.”

Ratt said they haven’t told her much in terms of the plan.

“We’re heading to Cold Lake, Alberta,” she said.

Ratt still has a lot of unanswered questions.

“They never said anything, just that we’re getting shipped to Alberta.”

Vincent Charles was still shaken up from the unfortunate circumstances. He said the situation is definitely not something they ever hoped to face.

“I was just sleeping in my room and heard a knock and they said we had to go,” said Charles.

“Devastating.”

He and his family will also be making the excursion across the border for safe keeping.

In total, at least 12,000 people are displaced by wildfires in the north. 

paNOW will continue to release new information on the fires and evacuees as this situation unfolds.

asoloducha@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alex_soloducha