Arjun Pillai
Daily Herald
Cool weather and recent rainfall have continued to slow the progress of the Shoe Lake Fire near Candle Lake, giving Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) crews time to attack the fire’s west flank. While the situation remains stable, local officials say the risk is not over yet.
“The fire hasn’t grown over the last few days,” said Brent Lutz, Chief Administrative Officer for the Resort Village of Candle Lake. “The weather has been overcast and cool for the most part, which has delayed drying, and that’s been helpful.”
SPSA’s incident command team has reportedly had some success attacking the fire both on the north and south ends, particularly on the west side closest to Candle Lake. Some value protection equipment has already been removed from the nearby Campbell Lake area as a result.
“We’ve yet to be advised that our risk level is significantly reduced,” Lutz said. “So we’re just watching over the next 24 hours to see how the fire behaves as the forest dries up and the wind continues to blow in our direction.”
The fire remains roughly nine kilometres from the village, where it was earlier in the week. Lutz said the village saw signs of activity along the fire’s western edge yesterday, but no further updates had come in at the time of the interview.
“We haven’t seen a huge return to the village, and there isn’t an exodus either,” he said. “Most people who were planning to leave have already done so. So I would say things remain the same.”
Until recently, municipal staff and volunteers had been going door to door clearing combustible materials from around properties. That fire-smarting work has now been paused due to the reduced short-term risk and ongoing weather conditions. Crews have since turned their attention to general cleanup and landfill work.
While Lutz acknowledges the community remains cautious, he said there’s a sense of optimism too.
“We’re consciously, cautiously optimistic that things are looking forward, certainly better than they were a week ago,” he said.
The voluntary evacuation advisory remains in effect, and Lutz urged residents to continue monitoring the village’s social media channels for updates.
“We don’t want to invite people back only to have to turn around and tell them they must leave,” he said. “We’re hopeful the next few days will allow us to rescind that order, but presently it’s still in effect.”
Weather forecasts suggest another 20 millimetres of rain could fall Saturday. Lutz said that wouldn’t be enough to extinguish the fire, but it could help SPSA crews continue their containment work. Winds are expected to shift again by Sunday but are not currently expected to push the fire closer.
The Prince Albert Exhibition Centre continues to serve as a designated reception site, though the majority of evacuees have found accommodations elsewhere, according to Lutz.
“Our message is that the voluntary evacuation advisory is still in place,” Lutz said. “We urge residents to continue following our social media channels for updates if anything changes.”
