Resources are stretching thin in Saskatchewan and all hands are on deck.
That was the message from Premier Scott Moe on Saturday morning as wildfires continue to burn in northern Saskatchewan.
Moe said planning and discussions are under way as the number of people evacuated from northern communities due to wildfires in the north continues to grow.
“It’s going to be all hands on deck using every available resource that we have, whatever that might be at the community, provincial and federal level,” Moe said.
Moe was speaking during a joint press conference alongside Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) President Marlo Pritchard, Vice-President of Operations Steve Roberts, Minister Responsible for First Nations, Metis, and Northern Affairs Eric Schmalz, federal Secretary of State for Rural Development Buckley Belanger and Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation Chief Peter Beatty.
Listening in and commenting by phone were FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron and PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte.
On the weekend, the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation declared a state of emergency for the community of Sturgeon Landing due to wildfires. It issued a mandatory evacuation order because of heavy smoke from a wildfire burning in Manitoba and the increasing threat to road access in and out of the area.
Beatty said that the three major communities in the PBCN are running short of supplies including the largest community of Pelican Narrows.
“We had around 4,000 people living there and the majority of them have been
evacuated,” Beatty said. “Deschambault Lake it is out of supplies as well because of the compromising of the road infrastructure.
“My thoughts are that we should protect and keep open those routes so that critical supplies can be transported, and we’re thankful for those people that are doing that. (The) Department of Highways, SPSA, everybody that’s involved in that and of course our First Nations as well all our all of our organizations.”
Moe ran through a list of the resources that are working to control the fire situation. This included 220 provincial wildland firefighters, and 13 municipal fire departments including Warman, Prince Albert, Buckland and Humboldt that have sent crews to help.
“We have 66 contractors with various levels of heavy equipment that are working on the front fire lines” Moe said.
There are currently 100 staff that are coordinating everything. There are also 12 Saskatchewan tanker aircraft in the air.
“There are 410 Type 2 northern community and Indigenous firefighters that are on the front lines as well, 20 to 30 helicopters are in the air and we have a number of firefighting resources that have arrived from other jurisdictions, from Yukon, from Quebec and more recently from Arizona, from Alaska,” Moe said.
Aircraft include two Q400 water bombers from Alaska, two CL415 from Quebec. Five 802 aircrafts and officers will be arriving from British Columbia to be deployed soon.
“We have reached out to all communities in the north and we continue to reach out to communities to ensure that we collectively, whether it be federal government, provincial government or community leaders working alongside one another to support those that unfortunately have been evacuated,” Moe said.
Belanger, who represents the riding of Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River, arrived in Saskatchewan at 3:30 a.m. on Saturday. He said that Prime Minister Mark Carney and the federal government are concerned.
“I did indicate that I was coming home to you to sit down and get an update and visit the evacuees, which we’re doing today and tomorrow,” Belanger said.
“On behalf of the Prime Minister and the federal government, we’re pleased to be here today to listen and to learn and to support the people that have gone through this crisis and also to sit down with the Premier and anything that the federal government can do. We would do all we can to assist in this regard,” he added.
Belanger said that Prime Minister Mark Carney has made one directive to all Ministers directly involved in the fire situation
“Basically the instructions are we’re going to do all we can from Canada’s perspective to assist Saskatchewan in this regard,” Belanger said.
This included National Defence, Indigenous Services Canada and emergency measures.
“All of these departments are lined up to do what they have to do when we get the call from the from the Premier, it is always important that we collaborate and we coordinate with the officials and with the premier because we can be tripping over ourselves trying to help and manage this battle against the forest fire situation,” Belanger said.
“I think there’s going to be some really good coordination and the bottom line, the message is from our Prime Minister, Saskatchewan is important. All we can do to help, we’re ready to go,” Belanger said.
As well on Saturday the Métis Nation government in Saskatchewan joined the provincial government in declaring a State of Emergency. They stated that an alarming number of citizens are being forced to flee their home communities as hot, dry conditions and high winds persist.
“These wildfires are spreading so unpredictably, and citizens are being evacuated with little or no notice and no destination in place. They’re leaving behind their homes and their livelihoods with little more than uncertainty ahead. Our citizens are the heart of our Nation,” MN-S President Glen McCallum said in a press release.
“We must be able to respond to their needs so that when they arrive at safe locations,
they are welcomed with as many comforts from home as we can provide.”
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca.
