UPDATE (5:19 pm, Monday, June 29): Statement from La Ronge Mayor Thomas Sierzycki:
La Ronge Fire Situation Update
-No fire threat to Town La Ronge at this time. Fire conditions are extreme in the region but no major changes today.
-A Health Advisory (SMOKE) is in place for the La Ronge region.
-English Bay, Sucker River, Lamp Lake and Wadin Bay remain evacuated.
-Highway restrictions by convoy are in place for Highway 102 north and Highway 2 south. Highway 165 West (Pinehouse Road) is now CLOSED.
-The Egg fire is about 12km away from La Ronge. Wildfire management is monitoring this fire. More detailed assessment of the fire will be provided tomorrow morning. No aircraft for mapping could get a good picture due to smoke.
-Additional fire trucks have been bought in from the Province of Saskatchewan to complement our Fire Department if needed. Ontario crews have also arrived to assist Wildfire Management.
-Active fire activity is making conditions serious in the region. Please exercise caution and be prepared.
UPDATE – (5:05 pm, Monday, June 29): Statement from LLRIB Chief Tammy Cook-Searson:
Highway 2 convoy is open again, but could close with little or not notice.
UPDATE – (4:19 pm, Monday, June 29): Statement from LLRIB Chief Tammy Cook-Searson:
Based on the information provided by Wildfire Management:
“Eli Fire” (20 km north of La Ronge), Fire is 680 Hectares. Not yet contained. “Eli Fire” crossed the road at Km 21 yesterday between Don Allen Ski Trails and Wadin Bay. Ëli Fire has intensified this afternoon but has not moved significantly.
“Brian Fire,” (Dickens Lake km 100), Fire has not been mapped today due to smoke. Not yet contained. “Brian Fire,” crossed the road yesterday and moving south on the highway toward Grandmother’s Bay, it is approximately 8 kms away from Grandmother’s Bay.
“Clark Fire,” (29 km northwest of La Ronge), Fire has not been mapped today due to smoke. Not yet contained. “Clark Fire,” has moved significantly on the north end of Nemeiben Lake.
“Egg Fire,” (12 km West of La Ronge), Ëgg Fire is currently holding. A small finger of the fire moved toward Hives Lake but stopped short of the Lake. Egg Fire Not an immanent threat to the community of La Ronge, we are monitoring closely with wild fire management.
“Sucker Fire,” (22km northwest of La Ronge, Nemeiben Lake), 2250 hectares. Fire is contained.
“Sulfur Fire,” (2.2 km from Highway 915, approximately 11.5 km from Stanley Mission jct.) Fire is contained.
“Bear Fire,” (48 km northwest of La Ronge), 5000 Hectares
“Bob Fire,”(40 km north of La Ronge), 7500 hectares. Not yet contained.
UPDATE – (3:58 pm, Monday, June 29): Statement from Lac La Ronge Indian Band Chief Tammy Cook-Searson:
Highway 2 convoy just shut down until further notice.
UPDATE – (2:33 pm, Monday, June 29):
A mandatory evacuation order has just been issued by Northern Municipal Services for the Subdivision of Lamp Lake because of a “very serious fire risk to the community”. Both the Egg and Eli wildfires are moving towards the community. According to the provincial government, “extreme safety threats exist from the oncoming wildfires”. Evacuees are asked to register at the JRMCC.
A bad situation is getting even worse in the province’s north as wildfires consume hundreds of acres of forest and push people from their homes.
Officials provided the latest during a media briefing this morning.
There is no immediate threat to the town of La Ronge, but travel is not recommended in the area. General evacuations are under way for the communities of Grandmother’s Bay, Montreal Lake, Wadin Bay, Sucker River, English Bay, Nemeiben and Weyakwin.
A recommended evacuation has been issued for La Loche because of heavy smoke. The fires are also causing road closures.
The executive director of wildfire management, Steve Roberts, says hot dry weather conditions are making it difficult to get a handle on the fires.
Right now there are 116 fires in the province, 52 of them are bigger than one square kilometer.
One of the biggest fires is about 25 kilometers northwest of La Ronge.
It is about 7 square kilometers.
Roberts says fires have burned their way right up to three communities, but no structures have been lost.
Evacuation centres have been set up in both Prince Albert and Saskatoon.
As of this morning, 1,744 people have been forced from their homes.
Deanna Wysosky with the Ministry of Social Services expects more evacuees in the coming days.
So far this year there have been 510 wildfires, more than double last year’s total at this time.
Most are being started by lightning strikes.