Sask. wildfires spur evacuations, highway closures, expanded fire bans and air quality statements

Aliyah Marko-Omene · CBC News

· Posted: May 26, 2025 8:03 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

Wildfires successful Saskatchewan led to road closures, aerial prime statements and an expanded occurrence prohibition connected Monday.

There were 19 progressive fires burning crossed the state arsenic of Monday astatine 11 a.m. CST, with lone six considered contained, according to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA). 

Special aerial prime statements were enactment into effect Monday for each of northeastern Saskatchewan owed to wildfire smoke.

As of Monday afternoon, Highway 3 southbound of Prince Albert was closed successful some directions owed to debased visibility from smoke, arsenic were Highways 106, 120, 912 and 913 northeast of Prince Albert successful Narrow Hills Provincial Park. Highway 135,northeast of Pelican Narrows to Sandy Bay, was besides closed. Updates are disposable connected the Sask. Highway Hotline website.

RCMP are advising travellers to instrumentality alternate routes and debar areas wherever there's dense smoke.

On Monday afternoon, the SPSA expanded its provincial occurrence prohibition to see each vacant Crown onshore and the provincial forest, including provincial parks and the Northern Saskatchewan Administrative District.

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Meanwhile, evacuation orders person been issued for areas threatened by wildfires, including Brabant Lake, Little Bear Lake, Lower Fishing Lake and East Trout Lake.

Nic Swiderski owns a compartment astatine East Trout Lake that was built by his grandparents successful 1970.

Swiderski said that by Sunday night, each residents were forced to permission their homes as a wildfire descended upon the area.

"Things were progressing beauteous heavily," he said.

"The sprinklers were running, determination was cipher near and they expected [the fire] to deed sometime overnight, aboriginal morning."

Highway 927, the lone mode in-and-out of East Trout Lake, was besides closed owed to the fire. Swiderski said the speedy evacuation and roadworthy closure forced him to permission galore of his belongings astatine the cabin. 

"There's a batch of sentimental stuff," helium said. "Actually some of my grandparents … their ashes are up determination successful the compartment close now."

Swiderski said residents are grappling with the unknown, waiting for updates astir imaginable damages.

"It's ne'er going to look the same, I've travel to presumption with that," helium said.

"The tiny boats we person astatine immoderate of the small lakes that we've fished, I person travel to presumption with, you know, they're apt gone."

Nearby, Candle Lake is besides starting to consciousness the interaction of the wildfires. Many guests are changing their reservations oregon cancelling altogether, said Erin Ostlund, wide manager for Candle Lake Golf Resort, in an email to CBC connected Monday.

Ostlund said a batch of the surrounding areas person been evacuated.

"Evacuations see the exigency crews moving successful those affected areas, truthful we are seeing an influx of crews astatine the Candle Lake Golf Resort," Ostland said.

The play edifice has put emergency plans successful spot for each unit and guests.

Officials proceed to impulse each residents and visitors successful evacuation areas to permission instantly and cheque the SPSA's website for updates.