Kinoosao. Photo courtesy of Jerry Clarke.
Hours after officials with Manitoba Sustainable Development said a fire, which started in that province, was two kilometres from Kinoosao, the province of Saskatchewan says community leaders have spoken with officials and decided to return home.
Earlier this week, 22 people from the community near Reindeer Lake were evacuated as the blaze approached from the east.
An e-mail from the Saskatchewan government spokesperson sent late Friday afternoon says Kinoosao’s leaders “have met with officials and Emergency Social Services is reporting that they have decided to return home. The trip will start tomorrow, but because of the distance, they are unlikely to be back in Kinoosao until Sunday. It will be conditions permitting and we will try to get you the update on Monday, if they are once again back home.”
Earlier on Friday, Gary Friesen, the Manager of Manitoba’s Wildfire Program, said winds were expected to be from the west and that should improve the situation. He said crews from Manitoba remain in the area.
“There’s crews in the area, and we’re still working on that fire and watching it as well for any issues for the community or the area,” he said.
He said precautionary work had already been done in the area.
“That entails putting up sprinkler systems and fire pumps with hoses attached to them just to keep the area wet,” he said.