'It's very stressful': Sask. wildfire evacuees anxious to return home

The mayor of Sandy Bay, a remote northern village, said the community has declared a state of emergency, as an intense wildfire threatens the area.

Mayor Gertrude Bear told CTV News that her council declared the state of emergency on Monday and it will be backdated to August 12. The move comes after the uncontained Flannigan Fire forced hundreds to evacuate last week.

One evacuee said as the smoke got thicker, it became harder to breath.

“It's just scary, so close to our community, and if it burns it, we will have nothing to do, nowhere to go,” Latrone Bear said in an interview with CTV News.

Latrone Bear, a Sandy Bay evacuee. (Stacey Hein / CTV News)

The fire has been burning since early July, according to a Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) bulletin.

In the past two weeks, it has nearly doubled in size, now spanning 19,310 hectares, or about 193 square kilometres.

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“It’s very stressful, especially with kids around,” said Romuald Dumas, a Sandy Bay evacuee.

Dumas said while he’s worried for his home, he’s thankful for the efforts from frontline workers. He said in a time of uncertainty, the community is leaning on each other for support.

“We get along together, everybody looks after everybody,” he said.

Ronald Bear said the Red Cross has stepped in to help make evacuees feel comfortable during their displacement.

“We’re not sure when we’re going home, but we're enjoying (ourselves) the best we can,” Ronald Bear said.

The Canadian Red Cross said it’s working with Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation and Sandy Bay leadership to help with evacuation efforts.

“We’ve been asked to organize the lodging, registration, food, personal services and some safety and wellbeing support,” said Luc Mullinder, vice president of the Saskatchewan branch of the Red Cross.

Mullinder said there are more than 1,400 evacuees staying in either Prince Albert or Saskatoon. He said the Canadian Red Cross is happy to help communities organize activities.

“When you're outside of your natural environment, it probably gets a little bit cumbersome, probably a lot of anxiety just sort of sitting around the hotel, so it's always nice for a community to organize activities around the town that's hosting them,” he said.

The SPSA told CTV News on Monday afternoon there were 72 active wildfires in the province, 13 of which were not contained.