Do your due diligence before coming to Candle Lake over the Victoria Day long weekend.
That was the message from Candle Lake Fire Chief Jim Arnold as the resort village located roughly 80 km northeast of Prince Albert issued a pre-evacuation alert on Thursday.
Arnold and other village leaders are keeping an eye on the Camp and Shoe fires burning east and northeast of the community, respectively. There is no immediate danger, Arnold said, but residents should know an evacuation will ordered if the situation escalates.
“Make sure you’re prepared,” Arnold said in an interview over the Thursday noon hour. “Make sure that you’re paying attention to the messages that could be sent out by the village, so monitor the Facebook page the village has and monitor the Candle Lake website.”
As of Thursday morning, the 32,000 hectare Camp Fire and 16,000 hectare Shoe Fire are listed as not contained on the SPSA website. Both fires have been burning for more than a week. Both were caused by human activity.
A third fire called the Boot Fire began in the area on Tuesday, but has not grown above one hectare. The fire was caused by lightning, according to the SPSA.
Arnold described the conditions at Candle Lake as “quite smoky” Thursday morning. However, the wind shifted later in the morning, pushing much of the smoke south towards Meath Park and Prince Albert.
“The wind shift has been favourable for us for smoky conditions,” Arnold said. “We’re a little concerned about the two fires that are burning around Candle.”
Arnold said Candle Lake has around 900 full-time residents, but the population swells to between 10,000 and 15,000 people during holidays like the May long weekend. With that many people in the area, Arnold said it’s important to have a plan before evacuations are necessary.
The Resort Village has advised full-time residents to organize accommodations outside the community and prepare an emergency kit with important documents, prescription medications, personal items, laptops, pet supplies, and meaningful items. Residents and visitors should also have their vehicles are fueled and ready for travel.
The Resort Village plans to setup an Evacuation Centre if the situation escalates. Leaders will also post updates on the Resort Village Facebook page, or the Candle Lake website.
Residents can register for a potential evacuation by using the SPSA’s Saskatchewan Evacuation App.
Saturday’s Welcome Back to the Lake festivities will still go ahead. The list of activities includes a wildfire values protection equipment demonstration at the Candle Lake Community Grounds.
The Resort Village has purchased 12 new wildland pumps, 6,000 feet of forestry hose, and various other pieces of firefighting equipment in preparation for the upcoming wildfire season.
“It’s just to let the public know that the fire department is taking action for their safety for the village,” Arnold said. “We’re buying fire hose. We’re buying pumps. We’re buying sprinklers, that sort of thing, and we’re making sure that we’re doing the best we can with respect to the citizens’ tax dollars that are being spent by the fire department.”
The event will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Arnold joined Candle Lake Emergency Services in the summer of 2023. Since then, he’s worked to enhance the community’s’ wildfire preparations. The list includes plans to construct a fire break on the northwest side of the lake.
Candle Lake Emergency Services has also urged residents to follow the FireSmart Program this year and clear dead brush and other possible fuel sources from within 30 meters of their property.
“Our goal is to be fully prepared to protest the Resort Village subdivisions and our neighbours if threatened by wildfire,” Arnold said in a press release.
Candle Lake Emergency Services has already attended two wildfires this season, including the recent fire in Garden River where they assisted the Garden River Fire Department for a combined 15 hours over two days.
