The number of evacuees due to wildfires in the north continues to rise.
At an update on the fires Tuesday afternoon, hosted by the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency, Premier Scott Moe says the number of evacuees in the province is now approaching 15,000. However, official numbers have not yet been counted.
In the meantime, the Premier says challenging days are ahead.
“We aren’t through this, and the weather doesn’t appear to be changing in the near future,” he said. “We’re probably approaching, in the neighborhood of 15,000 people that have been evacuated, across the province, and are being supported in communities, throughout Saskatchewan. More families are are leaving their homes as we speak.”
The number of evacuees grew by the thousands on Monday as the La Ronge tri-communities were evacuated due to the nearby Pisew fire.
SPSA officials say over 400 structures have also been lost and that number is expected to rise.
“Many families, are leaving their home, and they don’t know if they’re going to see it again,” said Moe. “They aren’t just buildings. These are places where they have raised their family or or are currently raising their family. They’re not just structures that are nailed together, they are family homes.”
It was also reported that the Wolf fire has moved through the northeast community of Denare Beach causing significant damage.
Meanwhile, the SPSA says they lost their air tanker base near the airport in La Ronge. No aircraft was lost, but officials are working to bring the operation back online.
SPSA officials also described Monday as one of the most challenging days in fighting fires. With a forecast continuing to bring hot and windy weather, they believe there will be more challenging days ahead.