Families displaced after fast-moving grass fire hits Mistawasis Nêhiyawak

Submitted/Public Works Supervisor Leonard Johnstone

Watson said strong winds quickly pushed the flames through the area, threatening nearby homes in what residents refer to as the lake area.

“It’s sad that we lost one house, but thank goodness for the response that we had that we saved several other homes,” he said.

Residents in the area were evacuated as a precaution, but later allowed to return home.

Watson said the community’s own fire response resources, including two fire trucks, were deployed. The public works employees and community members who assisted in the response were also commended for coming together to help fight the blaze.

Emergency support came from multiple agencies and neighbouring communities as the fire escalated. The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency helped dispatch aerial firefighting support, including two water bombers, which were critical in slowing the spread of the blaze.

He also confirmed ground support arrived from nearby First Nations, including crews from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, along with additional water trucks from various local sources.

“Throughout the night, our local crews were managing, observing, ensuring that the hot spots didn’t pick up with the wind.”

Rain overnight also helped crews gain control of the fire, Watson added.

Mistawasis Nêhiyawak Chief Daryl Watson said the latest blaze was one of several fires the community has dealt with over the past week.

“This last one here was a grass fire that basically went into our forested area,” he said. “With the wind, it just took the fire out of control in a matter of minutes.”

The chief said dry conditions and the abundance of grass and forest surrounding the community have created dangerous fire conditions.

A fire ban has since been issued in the community.

An aerial view of the fire on Mistawasis Nêhiyawak, a First Nation located about 70 kilometres west of Prince Albert. (Image Credit: Submitted/Lands Technician Kelsey Watson-Daniels)

Chief Watson said between three and four families have now been displaced by recent fires, including one family of up to 15 people who lost their home in Wednesday’s blaze.

“Time was of the essence. We just had enough time to evacuate,” he said.

The First Nation is now working with the Canadian Red Cross to secure temporary accommodations while longer-term housing solutions are explored.

“The good thing about it is that we do have insurance in all of our homes, so that’s a saving grace,” Watson said. “But again, it’s going to take probably six months to a year to resolve that.”

Chief Watson said trying to develop a firefighting plan for the community with the province has been a daunting task.

“We are part of the Saskatchewan Fire Management Zone, but we’ve been having a lot of concerns with respect to the provincial side of it, with the emergency response people,” he said. “We’ve been trying to negotiate time and time again to have a REACT crew (specialized, rapid-response team tasked with high-risk emergency management) in our community to no avail. So, I think after this scenario, with the fires in our community, I think we have more ammunition now to take to government and basically tell them in no uncertain terms it’s time they get off their butts and start developing a plan that includes all the people in the forest management zone.”

He said without the strong community response working with emergency crews, the fire could have spread further into the backcountry, which includes a multitude of freshwater lakes and more than 30,000 acres of what he called pristine forest.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com

by paNOW Staff

Families displaced after fast-moving grass fire hits Mistawasis Nêhiyawak

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