An evacuation order was issued for Deschambault Lake Friday. A forest fire, which started Thursday about seven kilometres south of the community, has grown quickly and is threatening the road into and out of town.
The notice for evacuation came from Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) administration May 19, with the band ordering people to leave the community due to the growing KPIR fire south of the community. The fire, first reported to authorities May 18, has grown to 1,381 hectares and fire conditions in the area are considered to be "extreme".
"Residents in this area need to evacuate. There is a wildfire east of Deschambault Lake that is currently threatening road access to the community," reads the PBCN notice.
"Everyone in the affected area needs to evacuate. Gather pets, important documents, medication, food, water [and] supplies for at least three days."
Buses taking people out of town were escorted down Highway 911 to the Hanson Lake Road. People have been taken to the PBCN Cultural Centre, located along the Hanson Lake Road. The band said that further instructions and updates would be announced in the future.
The Saskatchewan Highway Hotline report for Highway 911 states the road is now closed due to the fire in both directions. Highway 911 is the main road into and out of Deschambault Lake.
The fire has been named the KPIR (Kimosom Pwatinahk Indian Reserve) fire by the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), which has been tasked with fighting the blaze. Since first being reported May 18, the fire has grown to an estimated 1,381 hectares in size according to SPSA data. The fire was first reported between the Twin Bays of the lake and has spread to the south, then east and to the north.
According to Natural Resources Canada, the fire has burned across parts of Highway 911. Hotspots have been recorded by Natural Resources as close as five kilometres of the community of Deschambault Lake and have stretched as far east as the west shore of the northeast arm of the lake. Natural Resources and the SPDA both consider the area around Deschambault Lake to be at "extreme" fire danger risk, along with most of northern Saskatchewan.
No injuries or property damage has been reported as a result of the fire.
