Northern Fires: people evacuating, others returning home

According to her, the ‘Clark Fire’, near Nemiben Lake, is holding but is creeping down toward the ‘Egg Fire’, while the ‘Egg Fire’ is creeping up on the North East end of the ‘Clark Fire’.

So far in La Ronge, 338 evacuees from Sucker River have been registered. People are staying at the Jonas Roberts Memorial Community Centre or with family or friends.

Only essential service people are staying in the community of Sucker River at this time. The LLRIB security services are monitoring homes and buildings.

Cook-Searson said 56 people are staying in Prince Albert, having checked into the Quality Hotel & Suites or Saskatchewan Polytechnic. She said the Red Cross and emergency services were prepared for many more people, but most are staying with loved ones.

There is a general smoke warning out, especially for those with chronic illness, elders, children the age of two and pregnant women.

In La Ronge, Cook Searson said there is a visibility range between 3 and 5 kilometres. She said the wind is helping to keep the smoke moving, but if it calms down there is a greater risk of it effecting people’s health.

“The smoke could come in at any time,” said Cook-Searson. “It’s just kind of moving around because of the fires in the communities but [the fires] aren’t threatening the communities.”

She said there was one small win yesterday.

“We did get some rain last night so that helped the ‘Eli Fire’,” she said.

According to Cook-Searson, crews are placing value protection in areas most affected.

“It’s like a sprinkler system,” she said. “So they put that up yesterday in Waden Bay and then they’ll put them up in Sucker River today.”

Highway 102 was closed briefly yesterday because a small part of the ‘Eli Fire’, which was about 500 meters from the highway, took off, but a cloud of rain helped to put it out, according to Cook-Searson.

At this time, only the road to Nemeiben Lake is closed.

If you are concerned about your health, please contact the health line 811 or go to the outpatients at the hospital for assessment.

Evalcuees who still need to register can contact Kyla McKenzie at 306-425-7984.

There will be another meeting tonight at 6p.m. for updates on the fire and smoke. We will continue to provide updates as soon as they’re available.

asoloducha@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alex_soloducha

by Alex Soloducha

Northern Fires: people evacuating, others returning home

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