Family says they warned province about wildfire threat to East Trout Lake, but were ignored

Jeffery Tram · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 25, 2025 5:34 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

A Saskatchewan household is demanding accountability from the provincial authorities aft a wildfire destroyed their location — on with household heirlooms and the ashes of their loved ones — successful East Trout Lake.

Doug Swiderski has lived astatine East Trout Lake, astir 250 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, for 55 years. His parents purchased a compartment that was then rebuilt arsenic their status home. After they died, their ashes were kept determination — conscionable arsenic they had requested. Now the cabin, and everything inside, is gone.

"We would person done thing to prevention it," Doug said. "We were much than consenting to spell in. I person fought fires up determination before."

Doug and his son Nick accidental they repeatedly warned officials astir the approaching wildfire, but were brushed disconnected successful the days earlier it tore done their location and community. They shared their communicative astatine an Opposition NDP quality league Tuesday successful Saskatoon, alongside Saskatchewan NDP MLA Jordan McPhail.

"We were told we were successful nary contiguous danger, but we knew the occurrence was accelerated approaching," Nick said. "We felt wholly helpless and that nary assistance was fixed to us, and our assemblage was near to burn."

"It conscionable seems that cipher was truly listening," Doug said.

WATCH | Wildfire evacuee shares haunting images of East Trout Lake region: 

In a written statement, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) said it "recognizes the interaction that the Shoe occurrence has had connected residents of East Trout Lake and different devastated communities."

"All six of the fires of enactment astatine the clip received aggregate levels of response," the connection read, "ranging from wildland firefighting crews to aerial tankers, dense equipment, chopper support, declaration resources and/or municipal oregon unpaid occurrence departments."

The SPSA besides said it has created a betterment task squad to assistance radical and communities statesman rebuilding. The squad includes representatives from assorted provincial ministries.

"We cognize that determination are immoderate losses that are irreplaceable," the connection said.

The Saskatchewan NDP is calling for a afloat audit of the province's wildfire effect and the readiness of its firefighting fleet.

Doug Swiderski said he has yet to person provincial catastrophe relief, and that navigating security and paperwork has been confusing and slow.

"I tin basal present present and archer you I cognize thing much contiguous than erstwhile the spot burned," helium said. "That was my imperishable home."