'Resources stretched thin,' Premier Scott Moe says, as Sask. wildfires rage on

Aishwarya Dudha · CBC News

· Posted: May 31, 2025 2:47 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Premier Scott Moe says Saskatchewan's quality to combat a plague of wildfires crossed the state is reaching the breaking point.

The premier was joined by officials from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency astatine a quality league successful Prince Albert to update the existent wildfire situation.

The state continues to acquisition 1 of its worst starts to the wildfire play connected record. More than 500,000 hectares person burned successful wildfires crossed the state truthful acold this year. 

"Resources are stretched thin," Moe told reporters in Prince Albert. "Just can't person different fire."

People request to beryllium perfectly cautious astir accessing areas adjacent to the wildfires arsenic these are incredibly stressful and challenging times for those successful bluish Saskatchewan.

Sixteen progressive wildfires successful the state have led to astatine slightest 17 evacuations forcing thousands of radical to fly their homes. 

State of exigency declared successful Sturgeon Landing

The Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation has declared a authorities of exigency for the assemblage of Sturgeon Landing owed to wildfires. It's issuing a mandatory evacuation bid due to the fact that of dense fume from a wildfire burning successful Manitoba and the expanding menace to roadworthy entree successful and retired of the area.

The First Nation says each assemblage members indispensable evacuate immediately. It says evacuees indispensable conscionable astatine the Wanless Store, which volition service arsenic the staging area.

From there, it says, a convoy volition question to The Pas with enactment from exigency unit to guarantee a harmless evacuation. If anyone is evacuating by backstage vehicle, they are urged to travel the convoy and not question alone.

Wildfire fume is besides affecting different communities successful the province, with aerial prime warnings successful spot for areas including Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert and Estevan. 

The province's largest fire, the Shoe fire, has burned 305,000 hectares which is astir 13 times the size of Saskatoon. Smoke from that occurrence has been threatening communities, including the edifice colony of Candle Lake. 

The assemblage experienced heavy fume implicit the past fewer days, but according to their latest update, the occurrence is "moving much dilatory toward Candle Lake." 

"However, upwind and upwind conditions tin alteration quickly, and our pre-alert evacuation and voluntary evacuation notices stay successful effect," according to the update astatine 10 a.m. Friday.

The Sakatchewan Public Safety Agency said that resources are being deployed to mitigate the fire, including benignant 1 and benignant 2 fire crews, helicopters, section occurrence departments and dense equipment. 

Communities evacuated owed to the Shoe fire include Lower Fishing Lake, Piprell Lake, East Trout Lake, Little Bear Lake. Whiteswan/Whelan Bay.

Prince Albert National Park limits access 

Parks Canada has issued a closure for areas wrong Prince Albert National Park owed to the wildfires.

It's restricting each backcountry areas successful the National Park, Kingsmere Road westbound of Narrows Peninsula Trail. Elk Trail and the Valleyview web of trails, excluding the Valley View casual and mean trails. All of Crean Lake, including Crean Kitchen campground and day-use area, excluding Hanging Heart Lakes.

 Visitors are being asked to respect the closures to trim the hazard of igniting caller fires. 

Power remains retired successful northeastern Sask. communities.

SaskPower said successful an update that wildfire conditions are disrupting repair enactment for the outage successful immoderate bluish communities. Crews person been forced to halt enactment successful Deschambault Lake, Denare Beach, Pelican Narrows, Jan Lake, Creighton, and surrounding areas.

As of Friday morning, crews had been incapable to resume enactment successful those regions safely. 

In La Ronge, Southend, Brabant Lake, and McLennan Lake, akin challenges are being reported. SaskPower said Friday that crews are en way to proceed repairs to code the outage, but nary estimated clip of restoration is presently disposable owed to the ongoing wildfire threat.

Métis Nation–Saskatchewan declares authorities of emergency

On Friday, the Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN–S) besides declared a authorities of emergency, joining the provincial authorities arsenic much citizens are forced to fly their homes with small oregon nary notice.

"These wildfires are spreading truthful unpredictably, and citizens are being evacuated with small oregon nary announcement and nary destination successful place. They're leaving down their homes and their livelihoods with small much than uncertainty ahead," MN–S President Glen McCallum said successful a statement. 

The MN–S authorities said it has mounted effect teams to assistance successful occurrence zones, is providing culturally grounded services wherever possible, and is co-ordinating with provincial and national partners to guarantee Métis citizens person entree to support.

Federal effect to wildfires

Saskatchewan is nether a provincial authorities of exigency owed to wildfires. That means the state tin entree much resources and telephone for enactment from antithetic levels of the government. 

Eleanor Olszewski, the national exigency preparedness minister, said successful an interrogation with CBC News Network connected Friday that Manitoba has called for a 'request for assistance' from the national government, but Saskatchewan has not made a akin petition yet. 

She said that the Royal Canadian Air Force is helping those distant communities successful Manitoba evacuate to Winnipeg. 

"I did talk with my counterpart, my provincial counterpart Tim McLeod, this day and helium advised maine that the concern successful Saskatchewan is manageable astatine the contiguous time," she said. 

"In the lawsuit that national resources are required, we're perfectly prepared to measurement up and help," Olszewski said. 

Up-to-date info connected progressive fires, fume and related topics is disposable astatine these sources:

• Interactive Sask. progressive occurrence map.
• Fire information map.
• Environment and Climate Change Canada upwind alerts.
• Sask. Highway Hotline.
• Smoke forecast.
• Air quality.
• Tracking wildfires crossed Canada.