Only a handful of evacuees remain displaced as a result of northern Saskatchewan forest fires, and they will be heading home tonight.
Hundreds of evacuees went back home yesterday and this morning after being forced from their homes by smoke and fire last weekend. Most of the evacuees were the elderly, the very young, those with health issues and their caregivers.
Now, the only people left to return home are from Sikachu Lake and Clam Lake Bridge which are near the biggest fire in the area.
The executive director of Wildfire Management, Steve Roberts, says crews are making progress on pushing it back.
“Our crews have been working and our full plan is to have both those communities secure so that they will be able to allow their residents home by later today,” he says.
The fire is about 229 square kilometres, and is still not contained.
Wildfire management is getting a better handle on the damage left behind by the fires. A ground evaluation by conservation officers has confirmed the destruction of two homes and 14 cabins.
Local officials concede it could have been a lot worse without the tremendous effort of firefighters. The deputy commissioner of emergency planning and fire safety, Colin King, says dealing with the fires over the past week has been a valuable learning experience.
“We picked some things up already and I am sure we are going to incorporate them into next time,” he says. “That’s why every time we have an operation like this we seem to be a little better, a little more effective and a little more efficient.”
There are more than 400 firefighters, 20 helicopters and 27 pieces of heavy equipment involved in the firefighting efforts. So far this year there have been 365 forest fires, more than twice last year’s level at the same time.