Vulnerable residents forced to leave Fond du Lac because of wildfire smoke | CBC News
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A First Nation in northern Saskatchewan says it has moved about 300 members out of the community to safety in response to health threats from forest fire smoke.
The Fond du Lac Denesuline Nation, which is on Lake Athabasca about 60 kilometres from the Northwest Territories borders, said in a statement that the evacuation focused on people with compromised cardio-respiratory conditions and other health issues.
Indigenous Services Canada said 253 vulnerable members were sent by air last Friday to Saskatoon due to the poor air quality caused by heavy smoke, with support from the Canadian Red Cross and Prince Albert Grand Council.
The department also said clean air shelters and air purifiers are available to residents who remain in the community.
In its latest wildfire update, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency said the Todos fire burning just east of Fond du Lac is nearly 27 square kilometres in size and its status is listed as not contained.
The band has a population of about 2,300, with more than 900 on reserve.
“Once it’s safe, we will start the process of bringing everyone back home,” said Fond du Lac Chief Kevin Mercredi in the statement.
“Our people’s safety will always be our main concern, and we will make sure everything is safe before we begin this process.”
The fire near Fond du Lac is one of 55 burning across the province.
Steve Roberts with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency said the majority of fires this year have been caused by humans, rather than lightning.
“This year we have burned 1.2 million hectares,” Roberts told reporters during an update Tuesday. “Our 10-year average is 442,000 hectares. Our largest in history that we’ve recorded here is 1.7 million hectares were burned in 2015. So large number of fires on the landscape, not our biggest year, but quite significant for Saskatchewan.”
The public safety agency lists areas in southwest as being at the greatest fire risk right now. Areas around Swift Current, for example, are currently under a fire ban.
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