‘Left to burn’: Saskatchewan family calls for answers after East Trout Lake wildfire

A Saskatchewan family is demanding accountability after the Shoe fire destroyed their East Trout Lake Cabin, along with decades of memories and the ashes of their loved ones.

Nic and Doug Swiderski said their warnings to provincial officials were dismissed. Days later, the fire tore through their community, levelling homes and cabins, including the one their family had built and lived in for generations.

“My grandfather built that cabin in 1989 with his bare hands,” Nic said at a press conference hosted by the NDP. “After he passed, we placed his and my grandmother’s ashes inside. Now they’re gone too.”

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Doug, Nic’s father, had planned to retire there next year.

“It was more than a cabin, it was our home. My driver’s license says I live there,” Doug said.

Both men said the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) refused to let them back in to defend their property, even after they offered to help with firefighting efforts.

“We had people willing to go back in,” Nic said. “We had a boat route, even talked about chartering a helicopter. I said I’d swim if I had to; they told us if we tried, we’d be arrested.”

They allege that half the pumps set up by SPSA were inoperable, and that no one was on-site to fight the fire when it arrived.

“The province pulled their crews out and left us to burn,” Doug said. “There was no coordination. No answers.”

The pair said the province’s wildfire response has raised major concerns, not just about preparation, but about support for residents in unincorporated areas like East Trout Lake.

“We tried applying for help, but the forms didn’t even apply to us,” said Nic. “We were told we didn’t qualify because East Trout isn’t part of a municipality.”

The NDP said what happened is not just a tragic loss, it’s a failure of public safety.

“Doug and Nic did everything they could to raise the alarm,” said NDP MLA Jordan McPhail. “This wasn’t just a mistake. It was a failure to protect people and the places that mattered.”

Both men said they’re speaking out not for political reasons, but to prevent the same thing from happening to others.

“If there’s a fire again, they’ll have to drag me out. I won’t let this happen twice,” Doug said.

They are calling for better wildfire planning, clear emergency communication and properly maintained equipment.

The SPSA said it recognizes the impact of the Shoe fire on East Trout Lake and other communities and offered sympathy to affected families.

In a statement, the agency said all major fires received “multiple levels of response,” including ground crews, air tankers, helicopters and support from local fire departments.

The SPSA said it has launched a Recovery Task Team to help families and communities rebuild, acknowledging that “some losses are irreplaceable.”

Fires in Saskatchewan on June 25

As of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, 19 active fires were burning in Saskatchewan on June 25.

SPSA said in its daily report that five of those blazes were not contained, while nine of the fires were under ongoing assessment and firefighters were protecting values in three. Two fires were considered contained.

Contained means suppression action is taking place and the fire is not expected to grow in size, ongoing assessment means the fire is being monitored regularly to assess risk to values in the area and not contained means suppression action is taking place but the fire is expected to grow in size, according to SPSA. Protecting values means a fire is active and action is focused on protecting things like cabins and infrastructure.

While the provincial fire ban has been lifted, there are still active bans in 21 urban municipalities, 33 rural municipalities and two provincial parks in the province, with the fire danger considered low to moderate for much of the province.

SPSA says there have been 267 fires in Saskatchewan so far in 2025. The five-year average to date for Saskatchewan wildfires is 166.

Three communities remain under an evacuation order, including East Trout Lake, priority individuals from Creighton and Denare Beach. Priority individuals from Cumberland House have started to return home.

The SPSA’s Recovery Task Team continues to meet with community leaders to discuss recovery efforts.