Smoked-out Athabasca residents remain in La Ronge

Smoked-out Athabasca residents remain in La Ronge

Monday, July 19, 2004 at 12:55

Residents of Black Lake and Stony Rapids continue to wait for word today of when they will be allowed to return home.

It was exactly one week ago that fifty-nine residents of Black Lake were airlifted out to La Ronge as a result of smoke in the community.

The situation was brought on by fires in the far north and got worse last Friday when six people from Stony Rapids were removed as well.

Janet Miller, a spokesperson for Saskatchewan Community Resources says all the residents evacuated were either new born babies, elderly or suffering from a chronic condition and deemed to be at risk.

She says local authorities are assessing the situation today and will get the residents home as soon as

possible, but only when it¹s safe.

Meanwhile, Stony Rapids Administrator Sherry Green says the smell of smoke is less noticeable now than last week. She says it is also less visible on the river. A decision on the situation could come sometime this afternoon.