A view of the smoke created by the Bell fire. (Submitted/ PAGC)

By Nigel Maxwell

Wildfires

Wildfires force evacuations at Red Earth and Shoal Lake

Oct 4, 2021 | 2:44 PM

In response to the growing threat of wildfires in their region, the communities of Red Earth Cree Nation and Shoal Lake Cree Nation have issued evacuation orders for their members and residents at highest risk of smoke.

On Thursday, Sept. 30, 440 people were evacuated from Shoal Lake Cree Nation to Prince Albert, and, Monday, Red Earth Cree Nation community members were being evacuated to Regina and Saskatoon.

Prince Albert Grand Council’s Saskatchewan First Nations Emergency Management (SFNEM) and the Canadian Red Cross have been providing support, along with the federal and provincial emergency response measures agencies and city municipal support systems from Prince Albert and Regina.

“We are thankful for the planning and preparations by our Emergency Response Team that ensured air purifiers were available to each home, which were put in place after the wildfires and smoke conditions over this past summer,” Red Earth Cree Nation Chief Fabian Head said in a press release. “The air purifiers have given our members and residents some relief from the smoke; however, we have been monitoring and assessing the situation, and today we decided to evacuate approximately 200 Priority One members who would be most impacted by the smoke.”

Given both the short-term and long-term threats of the wildfires, Head urged the government of Saskatchewan to act.

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“And to mobilize their available resources to enhance and expand the effort to extinguish the wildfires in our areas for the sake and safety of our people, and for the lands and all the resources upon which we have sustained ourselves for generations since the Day Before Treaty, the Day Of Treaty and the Day After Treaty,” he said.

(Submitted photo/ PAGC)

For Shoal Lake Cree Nation, its Emergency Response Team has pulled together support from its health staff, bus drivers, and other volunteers to support the evacuation effort for its community. Chief Marcel Head said it was a last resort.

“An evacuation order was something we did not wish to have to call. It is a very traumatic ordeal for our people, but we need to keep the health, wellness, and safety of all our people front and centre,” he said. “We have mobilized other available response and support measures to join the efforts to fight the fires and to monitor the fire situation and secure our members and community residences, property and assets. For the second time this summer, we are doing all what we possibly can to assure our people and to give them some measure of comfort in a stressful situation.”

The smoke is causing widespread concern across the region. (Submitted/ PAGC)

The fires and smoke that are coming into the area from the Crackling River and the foothills of the Pasquia Hills are closer to the communities than the Bell Fire, which has increased to 46,500 hectares from Sunday.

Over the past few days, fire suppression crews have been deployed to support the firefighting efforts. Three helicopters and tankers have been assigned by the Saskatchewan Public Service Agency, but the leaders say that more needs to be done. More details are expected Tuesday morning during a scheduled news conference.

According to Monday’s update from the Public Safety Agency of Saskatchewan, there are currently eight active fires in the area north of Hudson Bay. Five have been listed as not contained.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell