Nicole Goldsworthy
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
SaskToday.ca
NIPAWIN – In the northeast, wildfires have claimed 554,000 hectares of forest and destroyed homes, cabins and warm-up shelters.
Snowmobile clubs in the region have lost several warm-up shelters to the wildfires. Adam FitzPatrick, president of the Twin Lakes Trailblazers Snowmobile Club, confirmed to SaskToday.ca that the Horseshoe Bend shelter was lost to the wildfires.
The Shoe Fire destroyed the Esker shelter along with three other shelters of the snowmobile club.
In a social media post made after checking for hot spots along the trail toward Horseshoe Bend, firefighter Darcy McKinnon wrote, “It was hard to see this today [June 6], as I know how much work is put into a shelter by volunteers and members of the club.
This was one of the first shelters I had the pleasure of helping get set up for the Twin Lakes Trailblazers club. I don’t know how the picnic table made it through this with just minor damage, while everything else was burnt with tremendous heat. Not even the log splitter or wood stove will be salvageable from this fire.”
The Horseshoe Bend shelter was located at the intersection of trails maintained by the Torch River Riders, Esker Snowbears and Twin Lakes Trailblazers.
