Two of Saskatchewan’s biggest wildfires flared up Saturday, prompting local officials to ask people to leave areas near the northern village of Île-à-la-Crosse, roughly 375 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon.
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency had previously declared the Muskeg fire “contained” this past week, but the agency says that because of the current heat dome weather conditions, “many areas of the fire have surfaced this week.”
As of late Sunday morning, the Muskeg fire and the Trail fire were not considered contained.
On Saturday afternoon, the SPSA asked campers in South Bay War Veterans Park to leave by 8 p.m. citing weather conditions and concerns about unfavourable winds.
Local officials asked people in the Canoe River subdivision to leave their properties.
In a Saturday afternoon Facebook post, acting mayor of the northern village of Île-à-la-Crosse Vince Ahenakew said the SPSA was setting up sprinkler systems at Canoe River and surrounding areas.
Fire later breached Highway 155 at Canoe River and closed sections of the highway between Buffalo Narrows and the Beauval area.
Highway 155 has since re-opened, according to the province’s Highway hotline, but there is “low visibility due to wildfires and smoke.”
Highway 165, east of the northern village of Beauval near the intersection with Highway 914, closed Sunday morning due to fire crossing the road and is currently barricaded.
According to the SPSA’s website, crews will prioritize areas near the Beauval tower, the Pinehouse junction and south of the community of Patuanak.
