A nearby wildfire has forced the evacuation of the community of Sandy Bay, a northern community home to which is home to approximately 1,800 people. (650 CKOM file photo)

By CKOM News Staff

First Nation slams public safety agency as Sandy Bay evacuated due to fire

Aug 14, 2024 | 9:46 AM

A wildfire has forced the evacuation of the community of Sandy Bay, and leaders with the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation say the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency should be doing more to help, calling the situation “unacceptable.”

The northern community, which is home to about 1,800 people, has been evacuated due to the threat from the nearby Flanagan Fire, which is currently uncontained. According to the agency, the fire is roughly 130 square kilometres in size and is burning about 20 kilometres away from Sandy Bay. The area is also under an air quality advisory from Environment Canada due to the thick wildfire smoke.

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In a statement, Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation Chief Peter Beatty said the earlier containment could have prevented the evacuation, and hundreds of trained firefighters are available to help, but have not yet been hired by the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency due to concerns over protective equipment.

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“There are hundreds of qualified First Nations firefighters ready and willing to assist, but the SPSA has refused to hire them, claiming it is too dangerous,” Beatty said in a statement.

“Their reasoning? A lack of proper personal protective equipment. They say that our firefighters only have cotton overalls instead of the Nomex fabric coveralls required for fighting these intense fires.”

Calling the situation “unacceptable,” Beatty said proper protective equipment for more than 100 firefighters is available through the Prince Albert Grand Council’s Saskatchewan First Nations Emergency Management program.

“The real issue seems to be a lack of commitment to putting out the fire, not the capability of our firefighters,” Beatty said.

The chief said refusing to deploy qualified First Nations firefighters puts both lives and communities at risk.

“We cannot stand by while excuses are made. Our people are ready to protect their land, but they are being denied the opportunity because the SPSA isn’t prioritizing the resources needed to ensure their safety,” Beatty said.

“It feels like they do not want to put the fire out.”

Beatty’s comments were echoed by Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte, of the Prince Albert Grand Council, who called Saskatchewan’s current approach to wildfires inadequate and negligent.

“Prioritizing economic considerations over human lives and environmental protection is both short-sighted and dangerous,” Hardlotte said.

“These aren’t just remote forests—they are our homes, our sacred lands, and our future. To let them burn without doing everything possible to extinguish the flames is an unforgivable betrayal of our trust.”

Despite criticizing the public safety agency, Hardlotte said the grand council is deeply grateful to the firefighters and volunteers working to protect the community.

650 CKOM has reached out to the public safety agency for a response.

As of 7 a.m. on Wednesday, 83 fires were burning in Saskatchewan, with six considered uncontained, meaning the fire is expected to grow.

The province has seen 475 wildfires this year, according to the agency, which is well ahead of the five-year average of 328.

–with files from The Canadian Press