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A wildfire raging between Prince Albert, Sask., and Duck Lake was still out of control as of Friday afternoon, prompting an evacuation alert nearby.
The fire, dubbed Lobstick, was first reported on Tuesday afternoon just after 3 p.m., with fire crews attending the scene shortly after, according to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA).
The flames were sparked by a lightning strike, after crews initially believed the blaze was caused by an ATV, according to the safety agency.
As of Friday evening, the SPSA says the flames are not contained and span 13,000 hectares, up from 1,300 hectares earlier Friday morning.
Lily Plain, a small community southwest of Prince Albert, was briefly under a mandatory evacuation order Thursday evening before it was reduced to an alert around 9 p.m.
The smell of smoke is a reminder of the past for Cory Wasyliw, who lives in Macdowall, around 10 km east of the flames.
He says seeing the blazes destroy the forest he frequents is disappointing, having fought similar flames back in 1989.
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He also questioned why the Lobstick fire wasn’t extinguished when it started, citing reports from area residents that equipment was pulled off the fire.
“The fire doubled in size, and then it was getting bigger,” he said. “Why did they stop suppressing it and putting it out?”
Public Safety Minister Michael Weger told reporters at a media briefing Friday afternoon that some equipment had been temporarily pulled back for safety reasons.
“The heat of the fire, plus just the weather — temperatures in almost the mid-30s — did affect some of the dozer work (crews) were doing,” Weger said. “The dozers just couldn’t get into some of the spots.”
He added residents may see equipment sitting unused, noting it is due to safety considerations.
“There’s usually a good reason for that,” Weger said. “They (the SPSA) have to reorganize their plans and then go back in.”
Jordyne Seminoff, a volunteer firefighter from Macdowall, says she and the handful of other crew members received the call to assist on Tuesday afternoon, and it’s been all hands on deck ever since.
“With that heat and the humidity being so low, we’re kind of in that best recipe for a fire to move,” said Seminoff.
Much of southern and mid-Saskatchewan is under an orange Environment Canada heat warning, with above-average temperatures lingering from earlier in the week.
As a resident in the area, Seminoff says most residents are hoping the flames do not spread any further east, where dozens of homes are located.
Helicopters, air tankers, and heavy equipment are also in use to battle the flames, according to the SPSA, adding that multiple dozer guards have also been set up.
The RM of Duck Lake was given a mandatory evacuation order, but it has since been downgraded to an alert, said the SPSA.
The SPSA said Type 1 and Type 2 fire crews were operating on the Lobstick wildfire, with local fire departments offering support.
–with files from Chris Vandenbreekel
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