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
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.