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The growing Lobstick Fire southwest of Prince Albert forced more people from their homes Saturday as the blaze expanded to 19,000 hectares.
The fire is now roughly the size of the city of Regina, which covers an area of 17,991 hectares, and triggered evacuation orders affecting about 130 residents near Shellbrook.
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The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency said the fire had grown by roughly 2,000 hectares since Friday, prompting a major response that included all available provincial firefighting aircraft, dozens of ground crews and a heavy-lift helicopter from the federal government.
“They were alerted at 8:30 p.m. last night of an evacuation order,” Community Safety Minister Michael Weger said during a Saturday media briefing.
“Approximately 65 households or 130 people have been evacuated at this time.”
The evacuation order covers an area stretching one mile west and five miles east of Shellbrook, south of Highway 3 to the RM of Shellbrook boundary.
“The update I had recently was that that was completed in the early morning hours,” Weger said while discussing the evacuation of patients and residents from Shellbrook’s Parkland Integrated Health Centre, which was evacuated as a precaution.
“I would, of course, like to thank those health professionals involved in that for their swift and professional response.”
The Lobstick Fire remained uncontained as of Saturday morning.
Weger said the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency had committed extensive resources to the wildfire since it was first reported.
“The SPSA has used all of its available aircraft to attack the Lobstick Fire at certain points through these multiple days from the air,” he said.
That fleet included water bombers, air tankers, helicopters, and the Q400 airtanker group.
On Saturday Shellbrook Fire and Rescue said in a Facebook post that people driving on the back roads were hampering rescue efforts, with water bombers having to abort drops due to people being where they shouldn’t be.
“It’s human nature to be curious and want to see the fire, smoke, helicopters and water bombers up close,” the Facebook post read. “Emergency vehicles travel quickly and you are putting your own lives and theirs at risk by being out there.”
A heavy helicopter supplied by the federal government was also expected to arrive Saturday.
The wildfire continued to challenge crews due to dry fuel, strong winds, and heavy smoke.
“The current conditions in the area of the Lobstick Fire continue to be dry and windy,” Weger said. “We urge everyone in the area to stay cautious as conditions can change quickly in both direction and the intensity of the fire.”
Smoke has also complicated firefighting efforts from both the air and the ground.
“This wildfire is creating a large volume of smoke, which is also impacting crews on the ground and in the air at times,” Weger said.
Provincial officials said they were also keeping a close eye on infrastructure that could affect communities beyond the immediate fire zone.
Across Saskatchewan, 10 wildfires are active as of Saturday morning. Three are listed as contained, five were not contained, one is listed as protecting values, and one remains under assessment.
The Cayford Fire has also prompted an evacuation order for Red Earth Cree Nation east of Nipawin.
“We have been advised that the wildfire moved toward Red Earth Cree Nation throughout the night and is now approximately 2 miles from Highway 55, posing a direct threat to the highway and surrounding areas. Based on this information, emergency officials have advised that community members evacuate as soon as possible,” read a post online for community members.
A total of 13 buses were scheduled to arrive Saturday bringing prioritized residents to Prince Albert and others to hotels in Saskatoon.
Weger urged residents to follow evacuation orders and rely on official information sources such as SaskAlert and local emergency notifications.
“The SPSA number one priority is human life,” he said.
“If anyone becomes unaccounted for, crews must shift priorities from suppression efforts to protecting human life.”
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency said firefighting plans continue to evolve as conditions change and crews work to protect homes, communities and critical infrastructure.
— with files from 980 CJME News and paNOW
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