Judge denies bail for 2 men accused of looting during wildfire evacuation in La Ronge, Sask.

Dan Zakreski · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 03, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

Two men accused of looting successful La Ronge, Sask., during the recent wildfire evacuation past period are staying successful jail.

The men were arrested adjacent Waskesiu on June 4 successful a stolen SUV. RCMP recovered a stolen laptop, parcels and a crowbar. The items traced backmost to La Ronge, which was nether an evacuation bid arsenic the Pisew wildfire tore done the surrounding forest.

Both men were denied bail erstwhile they appeared successful provincial court. At the June 19 proceeding for 1 of the men, justice Steven Schiefner said the alleged thefts undercut the exigency evacuation system.

"These radical were vulnerable," helium said.

People are consenting to permission their homes due to the fact that they judge that their spot is harmless from thieves, Schiefner said. Should they uncertainty that and enactment behind, they are astatine hazard and distract exigency workers who indispensable past relationship for them.

"It was brazen, it happened during a clip erstwhile determination was an evacuation order, and astir [people had complied with that bid and, successful fact, had been evacuated," Schiefner said.

"Their conduct, it's alleged, injured astatine slightest 2 sets of victims, some the proprietor of the location and the SUV."

Schiefner said he'd gotten correspondence from the politician La Ronge who indicated "releasing them is not acceptable."

"This is brazen behaviour that shocks the sensibilities of the public. There are nary [release] conditions that I could travel up with that are sufficient," helium said.

"I simply cannot merchandise you."

Both men are scheduled to beryllium backmost successful tribunal this month.