First Nation under state of emergency after fire at water plant

REGINA Piapot First Nation declared a state of emergency Tuesday after the reserve’s water-treatment plant burned down overnight.

“Because it has to do with water and how important water is to everyday lives for people, we didn’t want to make it seem like we’re taking this situation very lightly,” said Chief Jeremy Fourhorns.

Fourhorns said plans are in place, with involvement from the provincial and federal governments, to meet the community’s short-term needs.

For now, that means bottled water and conserving water wherever possible.

The RCMP said the destruction was caused by a grass fire Monday night, but Fourhorns said an official investigation has not been completed.

The blaze is said to have started around 10 p.m. and community members were notified about an hour later. No one was injured. Piapot does not have its own fire department, and Fourhorns said it has been “quite some time” since the community had an agreement with a nearby rural municipality for fire services. Fourhorns said it was too late to fight the fire by the time help arrived.

“We had no loss of life, that’s the biggest positive piece that we have. It is not a great situation to be in because there’s so many other things we could be focusing our energy on,” Fourhorns said, adding Piapot has received an outpouring of support from nearby communities like Carry The Kettle First Nation.

It’s a big blow for Piapot’s approximately 850 residents.

The water-treatment plant, built in 1981 with a major upgrade and expansion in 2011, is the main source of water for the entire First Nation.

School was cancelled Monday while residents were asked to conserve water and stay away from the scene of the fire.

As far as restoring more permanent water service, Fourhorns said it’s a challenge his team hopes to address as quickly as possible.