Crews gain control over parts of blaze

There are currently no new threats posed by the wildfires that broke out in northeast Saskatchewan near Pelican Narrows.

Steve Roberts, executive director of the Ministry of Environment’s wildfire management branch, said the fires are considered to be stable as there has been no increase to their size and fire crews were able to gain “significant control” over portions of the blaze on Thursday.

Roberts confirmed the fire has been secured in the area closest to Pelican Narrows and local infrastructure, including SaskPower and SaskTel substations, were also secured by crews working with a bulldozer. As of Friday morning, there were no reports of damage to community buildings or critical infrastructure.

A spokesperson for SaskPower confirmed the fire has not crossed any of their lines, but said they do have crews on standby if that changes.

More than 150 people have been deployed to battle the blaze with seven pieces of heavy equipment, including bulldozers and water tank trucks. More than 15 helicopters are also in the area and if necessary, crews can also call in the province’s fleet of air tankers.

Duane McKay, commissioner of emergency management and fire safety for the Ministry of Government Relations, said staff are working to support those who remained in the restricted areas by bringing in groceries and providing transportation out of the area if necessary. Although food supplies are a main concern, McKay said the government is not looking for any donations — suggesting instead that people contact community organizations like the Red Cross to volunteer or donate money.

Emergency support is also being provided to the 2,117 people evacuated from the area; 911 are in Saskatoon and 1,206 in Prince Albert.

Some highways into the affected areas have been closed, including Highway 106 from the junction of Highway 135 to Creighton and Highway 135 north of Pelican Narrows due to heavy smoke in the area.

Anyone headed to a provincial park for the long weekend should be prepared to do their cooking over something other than a fire, as bans are currently in place in all parks and recreation sites south of the Churchill River.