By Nigel Maxwell

Fire threatens northern community

Jun 1, 2011 | 10:46 AM

A community in northern Saskatchewan remains under high alert.

A large forest fire is looming closer to the hamlet of Wollaston Lake and Hatchet Lake First Nation.

The fire, which started Monday, has now grown to 100 hectares or roughly five times the size of Prince Albert’s Cooke Municipal Golf Course.

Nearly one-quarter of the community's 1,500 residents had been evacuated so far, said RCMP.

The community is accessible mainly by air. People were flown to La Ronge, then many travelled by bus to Prince Albert.

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“There is kind of a panic situation, but matters are being taken care of thanks to tremendous teamwork in the community,” said Anne Robillard, who is helping to organize the evacuees.

Tuesday, the community had two school buses going around the community picking people up.

“The buses came around to pick people up — even kids that were playing outside on the street were picked up. Whoever refused to leave their home was forced to sign a waiver form,” she said.

Robillard said elders, people with chronic health conditions and babies born after 2006 are being evacuated first.

Smoke is not an issue for the community today, but it was Tuesday, she said.

“They were getting smoked in late last night because the wind was calming. The smoke slowly came in and they were handing out masks, but we're lucky that lifted,” said Robillard.

About 200 of the evacuees have found temporary shelter at the SIAST campus in Prince Albert and about 50 others are in local hotels.

nmaxwell@panow.com