An evacuation order has been issued for Sandy Bay as a forest fire burns near the community.
The order was announced in the evening August 13 by leadership of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN), which administers Sandy Bay. The order stands for all Sandy Bay residents, effective Tuesday night.
“Dear members of Sandy Bay, I am writing to inform you that the community of Sandy Bay is currently under an evacuation order due to an ongoing fire. This situation is being closely monitored and the Chief and council will meet daily with the PBCN Emergency Response Team to keep you updated and informed about the fire’s status,” reads the evacuation order announced August 13, signed by PBCN Chief Peter A. Beatty.
According to PBCN data, around 1,800 people live in Sandy Bay.
The fire that caused the evacuation has been named the Flanagan fire by the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) - it has grown to over 13,000 hectares in size over the past month since being started by a lightning strike July 9. At its closest point, the fire is burning about six kilometres away from Sandy Bay, according to SPSA mapping from early August 14.
The fire is currently considered to be “not contained” according to the SPSA - while the latest hotspots with the fire are not burning toward Sandy Bay, thick smoke from the blaze has blown into the community intermittently and the fire's travel patterns may be hard to predict. More smoke from both the Flanagan fire and other fires burning in northern Saskatchewan is expected to cover both Sandy Bay and other northern communities throughout this week.
“The fire remains uncontained and continues to burn. The SPSA has advised that although the fire is currently burning away from the community, it remains volatile and poses a significant risk,” reads the PBCN evacuation announcement.
“Four fire crews are actively working on the north side of the fire, between the community and the fire. Two additional crews will be deployed to other critical areas.”
The Canadian Red Cross is working with PBCN to carry out the evacuation, with many evacuees being taken to Prince Albert. Evacuees from Sandy Bay will need to register with both PBCN and the Red Cross - people who have been taken to Prince Albert will have to register with the Red Cross at the Coronet Hotel, even if they are not staying there. The band and Red Cross will provide food and essentials for anyone evacuated from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. - more information can be received at registration centres.
PBCN security teams have been brought in to Sandy Bay to patrol the area and protect properties. There are no confirmed reports of property loss or injuries as a result of the Flanagan fire as of Wednesday morning.
“Please remain safe and rest assured that we are doing everything in our power to protect our community during this challenging time. We will continue to keep you informed as the situation evolves,” said Chief Beatty in the evacuation announcement.
Requests for evacuee support can be sent to PBCN emergency response manager Duane Hiebert at [email protected], while any emergency-related requests can be sent to PBCN band administrator Heather Ray at (306) 754-7530.
According to NASA's Fire Information and Resource Management System (FIRMS), hotspots with the fire reported over Tuesday show that the fire is growing on its east flank north of Sandy Bay, but not toward the community. The closest hotspots reported Tuesday are eight kilometres away from Sandy Bay.
In a second statement issued by PBCN and by the Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) Tuesday, the two groups called on the SPSA to act on the fire and called for accountability from the provincial firefighting group - PBCN and the PAGC accused the agency of not acting quickly enough to put the fire out before it became a risk to Sandy Bay.
In the statement, Chief Beatty called for the agency to recruit First Nations Type 3 firefighters to help fight the blaze - in the statement, Chief Beatty said firefighters were qualified and able to fight the fire, but had not been mobilized by the SPSA.
“We cannot stand by while excuses are made. Our people are ready to protect their land, but they are being denied the opportunity because the SPSA isn’t prioritizing the resources needed to ensure their safety. It feels like they do not want to put the fire out,” he said.
