July 17 fire update: Blaze hasn't grown, hot weather on way, evacuation alert still on

The Wilson fire is still burning near Creighton and Denare Beach, but fire crews have kept it at bay for days, securing much of the fire's perimeter.

Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach are not currently under an imminent threat due to the blaze, according to local and provincial fire officials, but the fire is still considered "not contained" by the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) as of Wednesday evening.

The Wilson fire has covered 330 hectares of land as of July 17 - it has not grown since July 12, with fire crews keeping it at bay in all four directions. Official data from the SPSA previously stated the fire affected 330 hectares of area, but revised that count down to 305 hectares Wednesday. Three helicopters, 45 type one and type two firefighters and air tanker support have all been called in to fight the fire.

About 90 per cent of the fire's perimeter has been secured, according to the SPSA Wednesday. The fire's north, south and east flanks have been secured, but the west side has only been partially secured by fire crews - the fire's remote location, in an area with few if any roads and large patches of muskeg, has made it difficult to reach all of the west side on the ground. Helicopters have been called in to help transport firefighters and equipment, as well as dropping water on the flames. Power lines located near the fire have not been endangered. Resources from Manitoba have also been used on the fire, including fire crews and water bombers.

Evacuation alerts are still in effect for residents of Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach, but no evacuation orders have been announced. Local fire bans are still in effect in all three communities. The Saskatchewan government announced Wednesday that it had lifted its province-wide fire ban on Crown lands, but a regional fire ban still exists for the Northern Special Administrative Area, which covers Creighton, Denare Beach and almost the entirety of northern Saskatchewan. Residents are asked to gather up items for emergency kits, in case people need to leave the area quickly.

The Town of Creighton has opened up a clean air shelter at the Creighton Sportex for anyone affected by fire smoke. The Northern Village of Denare Beach does not currently have a shelter open, but has had one available at the DenarePlex and may reopen it if the situation calls for it.

Seven buses are on emergency standby in Creighton in case people need to be evacuated from the community. All three communities are asking for people to pre-register with their local community office in case of any evacuation - about 500 Creighton residents already have, according to Town representatives.

The Wilson fire was started by a lightning strike July 10, coming during a storm that passed through the region. According to Natural Resources Canada, the area around the Wilson fire has a "high" fire danger forecast for Thursday.

Weather conditions will be the difference maker for firefighting efforts this week. The area was under an Environment Canada heat warning for much of Wednesday and Thursday's forecast calls for rain, but also a 30 per cent thunderstorm risk. Forecasted daytime highs for the rest of the week, which had previously been in the mid-20s earlier this week, are now in the 30s, with hot weather expected until at least the weekend.