La Ronge and several nearby communities ordered to evacuate due to wildfires
Fast-moving fires in Saskatchewan's north have led to several communities in the La Ronge area being ordered to evacuate on Monday.
Residents of La Ronge, Air Ronge and Lac Ronge Indian Band were ordered to evacuate late in the afternoon, after seeing nearby communities get the same direction earlier in the day.
People with their own transportation are being asked to drive south on Highway 2 and register at the Days Inn in Prince Albert.
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The designated meeting place for evacuees needing assistance is the Jonas Roberts Memorial Community Centre in La Ronge, which is about 340 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.
Chief Tammy Cook-Searson of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band said earlier Monday that arrangements were being made for buses, and gas for vehicles, and that leaders would work with the Red Cross on accommodations.
Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency vice-president of operations Steve Roberts said La Ronge residents may have to head west to get out.
"If Highway 2 is compromised and they cannot be guided through, they will actually be moved down until they hit [Highway] 165. They will travel west and then down through Île-à-la-Crosse on that highway," Roberts said.
Space for evacuees needed
Where more evacuees would end up staying is still up in the air.
About 8,000 people had been evacuated in the province as of mid-Monday.
Roberts said the SPSA and other organizations are trying to identify which cities and towns have hotel space that could accept evacuees — anywhere from Prince Albert to Weyburn to North Battleford to Hudson Bay.
The only fire truck in Timber Bay doesn't work, says Carl Hennie, a volunteer firefighter. The Northern Hamlet of Timber Bay was ordered to evacuate Sunday morning. (Alexandre Silberman/CBC)
"Basically, we're canvassing every community in Saskatchewan for their capacity and as evacuees come out, they will be directed to areas where they can be housed until they can return home," Roberts said.
He said they have even been looking to Alberta to see if some evacuees could go there.
On Sunday, Montreal Lake Cree Nation declared a pre-evacuation notice for people in Molanosa, a small, isolated community about 150 kilometres north of Prince Albert.
Coun. Carol Naytowhow told CBC on Sunday that the First Nation has been taking in evacuees from Weyakwin, Molanosa and Timber Bay. Naytowhow said they are currently staying in available housing normally used for temporary staff.
There are also two shelters set up with space for 14 and they're preparing to house about 100 people in a gym.
Naytowhow said they are also preparing for the possibility of having to evacuate all 1,500 people on the reserve.
She said a community hall in Shellbrook will take in 400 on cots if needed.
Saskatchewan communities now under evacuation order or pre-evacuation alert:
Air Ronge
Brabant Lake
Candle Lake resort village (voluntary)
Clam Crossing
Creighton
Denare Beach
East Trout Lake
English Bay
Foran Mine - McIlveena Bay
Hall Lake
Jan Lake
La Ronge
Lac La Ronge Indian Reservation
Little Bear Lake
Lower Fishing Lake
Molanosa
Narrow Hills Provincial Park
Nemeiben Subdivision
Pelican Narrows
Piprell Lake
Resort Subdivision of Ramsey Bay
Sikachu
Sturgeon Landing
Sucker River
Timber Bay
Wadin Bay
Weyakwin
Whiteswan/Whelan Bay
As of Monday afternoon, there were 19 active wildfires in the province, with six considered contained. Air quality warnings are still in effect for much of the north.
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Roberts said 163 "values," including houses and cabins, have been lost to the wildfires — double what was reported on Sunday.
The Shoe Fire, currently the largest in the province, has prompted the closure of parts of Highway 165 and evacuation alerts for several communities, including East Trout Lake, Whelan Bay, Narrow Hills and Little Bear Lake.
Lisa Powder says it's scary being evacuated from her community of Weyakin. (Submitted to CBC News by Lisa Powder)
SaskTel outages
SaskTel Internet, wireless and landline services are currently not available in Deschambault Lake and Pelican Narrows.
Those services will also become unavailable in Jan Lake this afternoon.
Services won't be restored until crews can safely fix the outages or when crews can bring generators and fuel to the impacted sites.
SaskTel services have been restored in Brabant Lake, Sucker Lake, Southend, Key Lake, Cigar Lake, Collins Bay, Wollaston Lake, Black Lake, Stony Rapids, Sandy Bay and Fond du Lac.
This article was originally published for CBC News on June 2, 2025. It contains files from Alexandre Silberman.
Thumbnail image credit to Lisa Powder via CBC News.