VIDEO: Wildfire burning near Prince Albert raises concerns for farmers, ranchers

Standing at the kitchen window, Colleen Neufeld watched as the flames from what’s been called the Lobstick wildfire grow ever closer.

The sky looked like a typical prairie sunset, but it isn’t an orange glow from the sun.

Read more:

• Nisbet wildfire could cost $25M in timber losses
• RM of Duck Lake reeve frustrated by provincial fire ban delay as Lobstick fire burns
• Wildfire forecast anticipates high risk for new wildfires in B.C., Prairies, N.W.T.

“It’s all quite overwhelming and emotional, a little stressful,” Neufeld told us from her home. “We had some things packed in case we needed to evacuate. There was never an evacuation order for us, but there was at one point, that they were like, it’s getting close, like, what buildings you want us to save, and so that was a little scary for me and our kids.”

Neufeld and her husband live north of Duck Lake. Their property borders the Nisbet Forest, southwest of Prince Albert.

As helicopters and planes circle around the property, Neufeld admitted it has been a very stressful time.

“I’m going to get emotional. It’s crazy when it’s this close to home. We’ve seen forest fires before, but I pinned the one corner I was standing on out on a bush line that was on fire, and I pinned it to our property … the distance told me it was 500 meters (away), so that was like a little nerve-wracking, and then stressful.

“It’s kind of just watching all the time to see if the wind’s going to change,” Neufeld said.

It has been particularly traumatic for Neufeld’s children, who are nine and ten years old.

“My kids, for sure, they’re young, they don’t like not knowing what’s going on exactly, and we can’t tell them a ton either. We can just tell them, this is what we know, we drive out here, we’re actually out here right now on our land, just checking things out, just to see, and sometimes that helps them a little bit to see. Okay, this is where it burns and look how it actually didn’t totally burn the trees in some spots.

“It didn’t burn as hot or hard in some spots, and it was, it was interesting in the beginning when it started, and then, as it got closer to home it got more real, and yeah, definitely a little scary, but we have a faith and trust in God to take care of us,” Neufeld said.

The family has prepared bags in case an evacuation is needed, but it is hard for the children to comprehend the magnitude of what’s happening.

“When I told them to pack stuff, they definitely just grabbed all of their mini farm toys and their Lego sets, they were pulling out what to them was important, and so I was like, yep, you do that, that’s okay.”

She said her youngest child likes to go with her in the morning to check and see what is and is not burning, while her oldest is a bit more nervous and asks lots of questions.

“We homeschool our kids, so it’s hard to focus on things. We do our best to kind of reassure them of the people that are helping out here, and the wind direction, and all the things.”

Neufeld is, like many in the area, closely monitoring the wildfire.

Rodney Reidt farms on the south side of the forest.

“Hopefully it will rain this weekend and hopefully it will slow it up,” he said.

Smoke from the Lobstick wildfire near Duck Lake. (Rodney Reidt/Submitted)

“My son has a house on the edge of the forest, so we are watching that and my sister has a house up in the Lily Plain area, so that’s another one,” he explained. “We have a neighbour who has the fire creeping up to his place and we have trucks with water waiting.”

Tyler Smith is a farmer working north of Wingard Pasture. He is assisting firefighters in managing a fire that has moved towards that Lily Plain area.

He said the biggest flames are to the north.

“That’s where I think the provincial fire crews are working right now,” he shared. “There’s a lot of houses up there in the Lily Plain area. There’s lots of patrons that have cattle in there, and there are some fires in there. It’s mostly contained, it’s in the low areas, boggy areas that are hard to get at. The fire in there is pretty safe, but just when the wind changes or something, environmental changes, then it all changes, and you’ve got to keep an eye on it.”

Smith has spent most of the day trying to protect his property from what could be moving toward it.

Smoke from the Lobstick wildfire near Duck Lake. (Rodney Reidt/Submitted)

Neufeld and her husband continue to be on standby, moving cattle and bulls as needed depending on conditions. She is grateful they are surrounded by people trying to help them.

“I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the firefighters and airplanes, and all of the things, all of the people involved in helping,” she said.

“You see people come up on your yard and different areas, and you’re like, I don’t know you, but they’re helping, so that’s awesome. It kind of warms your heart, seeing everyone step up.”