Sask. fire evacuees allowed to return home, but some buildings lost
People affected by the Klyne fire west of Southend in northeast Saskatchewan are now allowed to return home.
The evacuation order remains in effect for medically vulnerable residents, including elders and children under the age of two, who left the area due to poor air quality from smoke.
Chief Karen Bird of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation says now that health care staff can safely return to the community, they made the decision to let people return home.
Bird says some properties were lost to fire, including her cabin at Deep Bay.
“A lot of our reserve burned in the Mistiwasahk Indian Reserve and Deep Bay area. And you know it's sad to see so much of our reserve has burned,” said Bird.
Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) has listed the Klyne fire west of Southend as contained. The SEIR01 fire is ongoing and the Cunning fire is out.
Some cabins and homes in the area were lost to the fire.
Bird says she would like the province to provide more training to local people who could serve as initial attack crews to start fighting fires in the area when they first break out.
Bird says the SPSA indicated the wildfire fire was mostly likely caused by lightning.
“More training needs to be done for firefighters to fight - especially near our communities and on our reserve,” said Bird.
“It definitely would benefit the north for these initial attack groups and the firefighters to be brought back.”
She says concerns she’s heard expressed by evacuees are what will their homes look and smell like after being so close to a forest fire.
Local people have also reported to her that there have been three power outages in the last two weeks that have been longer than 12 hours so they are also concerned about spoiled food in deep freezers and fridges.
Values in range of the Kylne fire include area include Southend, Deep Bay and Mistahi Wasahk Indian Reserve, Reindeer Lake Recreation Site and Highway 102.
Saskatchewan’s active wildfire count so far this year is over double the five-year average, according to SPSA data. So far this year, the province has seen 424 wildfires.
As of July 26, there are 157 active wildfires in Saskatchewan.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.