Saskatchewan wildfires displace 1,300

Premier Scott Moe said on June 1 that Saskatchewan had made progress against two northern wildfires, even as about 1,200 residents remained out of their homes. The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency said the Cayford fire northeast of Saskatoon near the Manitoba boundary was still burning vigorously, while the Lobstick fire near Shellbrook had shown minimal growth over the weekend. An evacuation order affecting about 130 residents near Shellbrook was lifted Monday afternoon. One evacuation incident remained active in the province early on June 3, according to the agency’s incident page. ### Which fires were driving the evacuations? The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency said the largest displacement was tied to the Cayford fire, which forced about 1,200 residents from two First Nations communities because of smoke and road-access concerns. The fire was described by SPSA official Bryan Chartrand as burning vigorously on June 1. (nationalnewswatch.com) The Lobstick fire south of Shellbrook had also triggered evacuations, but officials said conditions there had improved enough for local authorities to rescind the order on June 1. The Canadian Press reported that about 130 residents had been forced out near Shellbrook before that order was lifted. (nationalnewswatch.com) ### What did Moe say about the province’s position? Scott Moe told a virtual news conference on June 1 that Saskatchewan was in a stronger position than it had been the previous week. He thanked emergency crews, local governments, volunteers and others who had worked through the weekend, then added: “we have some more work to do.” (nationalnewswatch.com) Moe had also said a day earlier in Shellbrook that cooler weather was giving crews a chance to strengthen fire lines around the Lobstick blaze. He said firefighters wanted to “draw down some lines here to box this fire in” before hotter conditions returned. ### What damage and fire conditions had officials reported? Bryan Chartrand said the Lobstick fire saw only minimal growth over the weekend, with rain expected later in the week in that area. (nationalnewswatch.com) He also said a chicken coop, shed and trailer had been scorched, but crews had made progress in keeping flames from threatening other communities. (ckom.com) The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency’s active-incidents page said early on June 3 that the province had 11 active wildfires, including two classified as not contained, four as ongoing assessment and one as protecting values. The same page showed one active evacuation incident and said the emergency response map was updated in real time. ### How many people were still affected as of the latest public updates? (nationalnewswatch.com) The most recent verified count in the available reporting was about 1,200 residents still out of their homes on June 1 after the Shellbrook-area evacuation was lifted. Earlier reporting on May 31 had put the number above 1,300, including the 130 evacuees from the Rural Municipality of Shellbrook. (saskpublicsafety.ca) 980 CJME reported on May 31 that the Lobstick fire had grown to 19,000 hectares and the Cayford fire was approaching 10,000 hectares, citing the SPSA. That report said more than 1,300 people had been forced from their homes at that point. ### Where will the next updates come from? The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency said its active-incidents page and emergency response map would continue to carry current wildfire and evacuation information. (nationalnewswatch.com) Local municipalities were also identified by the agency as the place residents should contact for area-specific wildfire status. The next concrete changes to watch are updated evacuation notices for the Cayford fire area and new SPSA fire-status reports as weather shifts through the week. (cjme.com) (nationalnewswatch.com) (saskpublicsafety.ca)