The Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation is calling on the province to do more to protect Sandy Bay.
Chief Peter Beatty says the Flanagan Fire has forced the evacuation of the community.
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency has not said how many of the 18-hundred residents have been moved out or where they are being taken.
In the meantime, Beatty is calling on the province to immediate recruit hundreds of First Nation firefighters he says are ready to fight the blaze.
“There are hundreds of qualified First Nations firefighters ready and willing to assist, but the SPSA has refused to hire them, claiming it is too dangerous,” said Chief Beatty in a media release sent out by the First Nation on Tuesday evening. “We cannot stand by while excuses are made. Our people are ready to protect their land, but they are being denied the opportunity because the SPSA isn’t prioritizing the resources needed to ensure their safety. It feels like they do not want to put the fire out.”
According to PBCN, the province is not hiring the firefighters because of a lack of proper personal protective equipment. PBCN says its firefighters have cotton overalls instead of the Nomex fabric coveralls.
“This is unacceptable,” said Beatty. “PAGC’s Saskatchewan First Nations Emergency Management has access to the necessary gear, including fire hats and boots. Our firefighters have the same training as others. They are fit, experienced, and ready to help, but they are being sidelined due to a lack of proper gear.”
PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte weighed in on the issue says he feels the current approach to fire management is inadequate and negligent for Indigenous communities in northern Saskatchewan.
“This isn’t just a policy failure; it’s a failure of leadership and moral responsibility of the provincial government,” said Hardlotte in the release. “Prioritizing economic considerations over human lives and environmental protection is both short-sighted and dangerous. These aren’t just remote forests—they are our homes, our sacred lands, and our future. To let them burn without doing everything possible to extinguish the flames is an unforgivable betrayal of our trust.”
The band launched its virtual Emergency Operations Centre last month in response to wildfires affecting Denare Beach and Creighton.
As of Tuesday, the fire was estimated to be about 20-kilometers from Sandy Bay.
The province provided a statement to MBC Radio News on the matter:
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) has been actively engaged in fire suppression activities on the FLANAGAN fire since July 10, 2024, including ground suppression and values protection efforts using Type 1 and Type 2 firefighting crews as well as aerial support using helicopters and multiple air tankers.
Currently, the fire is threatening SaskPower’s Island Falls Hydroelectric Power Station and the Community of Sandy Bay.
This fire began to pose a risk to the Community of Sandy Bay on August 4, 2024, as it breached containment lines and progressed south toward the Community of Sandy Bay. New lines are being developed and a Type 1 Incident Management Team has been dispatched to manage the FLANAGAN and ARM fires. Type 1 and 2 crews are also engaged along with the Emergency Response Team, aircraft and heavy equipment.
Additional SPSA Operation staff have been in continual discussions with the Community of Sandy Bay and SaskPower to provide updates on the fire activity.
(TOP PHOTO. File photo of a wildfire from 2023.)