Candle Lake, Sask., officials seek approval for firebreak as wildfire threat increases

Sarah Onyango · CBC News

· Posted: May 27, 2025 3:12 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

As wildfires rapidly beforehand successful Saskatchewan, communities similar Candle Lake are ramping up their exigency preparedness efforts.

The Shoe occurrence successful bluish Saskatchewan, which precocious merged with the adjacent Camp occurrence into 1 blaze, has grown to 216,000 hectares successful size and was conscionable 21 kilometres from the RM of Candle Lake, astir 200 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, connected Tuesday.

• Poor Internet connection? CBC Lite is our low-bandwidth website. 

Candle Lake officials said astatine a quality league Tuesday that the assemblage has formally requested support from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) to physique a protective firebreak on Highway 120.

"We bash person immoderate superior concerns up present successful the north," Candle Lake exigency occurrence Chief Jim Arnold said.

"We're asking for the state to enactment instantly to assistance support the community."

Firebreaks typically impact clear-cutting ample swaths of wood to region imaginable substance from a wood fire. Candle Lake's projected firebreak would tally from Minowukaw to the junction with Highway 265, and is intended to assistance support subdivisions and adjacent communities from the fast-approaching wildfire.

"When you harvester that Candle Lake and Paddockwood area, we're trying to marque definite that besides the 2 crown jewels, the 2 parks we person here, are harmless from the anticipation of having a occurrence travel through," Arnold said.

Arnold is urging the SPSA to o.k. the fireguard now, saying it would beryllium utilized arsenic a precaution for aboriginal wildfires.

"This is not a conscionable a 1 clip thing, this could support the full country of Cadillac and Paddockwood from a occurrence approaching from the southeast oregon from the east," Arnold said.

"So each we're trying to bash is is marque our constituent that we request immoderate assistance and we request immoderate support." 

Firebreaks usually built successful off-season: SPSA

At a quality league Tuesday afternoon, SPSA president Marlo Pritchard said Candle Lake was not yet experiencing an imminent menace requiring a firebreak.

"There are requirements erstwhile we bash mitigation efforts," said Pritchard. "We besides privation to marque definite that the program of aboriginal mitigation and determination and each that aligns with the biology concerns and doesn't marque a concern worse."

Pritchard said the SPSA typically sets up firebreaks during the off-season.

"Typically not erstwhile successful a occurrence season, it's usually off-season, but they person large skills to travel successful and say, 'OK this is the plan. This is the champion enactment that volition support the values oregon the assemblage best.'"

Pritchard said the SPSA is moving with Candle Lake to find the best option.

"I cannot springiness you a timeframe for that, but we're going to enactment arsenic rapidly arsenic we tin with our specialists and with the assemblage arsenic well," Pritchard said.

The SPSA moved its incidental bid centre from Lower Fishing Lake to Candle Lake betwixt 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. CST Tuesday. More than 125 unit are present stationed successful the community.

Emergency evacuation preparation

Several communities surrounding Candle Lake person already been evacuated, and Highways 106, 120, 912 and 913 stay closed owed to occurrence activity.

"My knowing is if it gets wrong 15 kilometres is erstwhile we commencement to marque those kinds of decisions," Candle Lake Mayor Colleen Lavoie said.

Lavoie said the RM is starting to hole for the anticipation of evacuation and a squad is mounting up a centre to co-ordinate the effort.

"We're hoping that you'll beryllium capable to conscionable thrust in, thrust through, springiness your accusation and interaction accusation wherever you're going and beryllium capable to permission rather quickly."

She asked residents reasoning of leaving the assemblage to pass officials earlier doing so.

"I deliberation we would truly admit having interaction accusation truthful we cognize each wherever each the residents oregon compartment owners are."

Lavoie said the edifice colony is besides stepping up to enactment crews by providing meals and exigency assistance wherever needed.

"The firefighters person been precise thankful for the meals and the enactment they're getting from the assemblage each astir us, truthful precise thankful for them," Lavoie said.