Sask. wildfires cause gold mine evacuation, but 'unlikely' to shut down power plant

SaskPower says it’s unlikely the wildfire near the remote community of Sandy Bay will significantly impact operations at the nearby power station.

The Flanagan fire has tripled in size over the past two weeks, spanning 32,856 hectares, which is almost double the size of Regina (17,881 ha.), according to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA).

It continues to threaten the communities of Sandy Bay and Island Falls and the SaskPower Hydroelectric Power Station, which supplies a majority of the power in the area.

“We’ve taken steps to reduce fire hazards in and around the facility. We’ve set up fire suppression sprinklers on and around the building,” said Joel Cherry, a spokesperson with SaskPower.

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Cherry said the fire is within one kilometre of the station, but essential staff are continuing operations.

“It’s highly unlikely that the facility would have to actually shut down. It is located on the river so there's water on two sides of the plant,” he said.

“We are prepared for any contingency.”

A blaze called the “Late” wildfire near the hamlet of Turnor Lake and Birch Narrows Dene Nation has spanned more than 18,349.0 hectares, slightly larger than the City of Regina.

The fire forced some residents to leave the community, but the SPSA says the fire is now contained. Canada Post has also resumed delivery services to the area.

The “Kraus” fire, east of Missinipe, has caused the SSR SeaBee gold mine to evacuate most of its workers, according to a news release from SSR Mining.

As of Friday afternoon, there are 71 active fires in the province, eight of which are not contained, according to the SPSA.

Terri Lang, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said a low pressure system is expected to move through Northern Saskatchewan next week, which could bring some relief for fire conditions.

“It’ll bring rain, cooler temperatures, and with the cooler temperatures, we also get higher humidities so it kind of dampens fire behavior,” Lang said.