Note: This story is a live file and will be updated as new information arrives. This story was last updated at 8 p.m. local time Tuesday.
The City of Flin Flon has issued a pre-alert evacuation notice due to a fast-moving forest fire near the community.
The City issued the notice at 7:40 p.m. local time through official social media channels and its website. The notice is not an evacuation order, which would require people to leave their homes for refuge elsewhere - the notice has been issued so people can be prepared in case the situation worsens and such an order is called.
"The pre-alert is being issued as a result of the dry conditions and the proximity of the fires," reads the alert.
"Residents are advised to stay alert and begin planning for a potential evacuation which could occur on short notice should the situation escalate."
The City also suggests that residents pack emergency bags, including medications, important documents including passports, valuables and personal items, computers, laptops and other devices and and supplies needed for pets. Emergency services also recommend that people keep their vehicles fuelled up in preparation for a possible long drive out.
The fire, reported Monday night at the Creighton landfill has expanded overnight and into Tuesday, burning a thousand hectares of forest in less than a day.
Anyone with medical needs or requirements or who may need assistance leaving town is asked to pre-register at City Hall and sign out a vulnerable persons form - those forms can be filled out either in-person or by calling (833) 210-6435.
"Should the situation escalate, an evacuation centre will be set up and details will be provided," reads the City statement.
The Town of Creighton and the Northern Village of Denare Beach, as of 8 p.m. Tuesday, had not issued similar notices.
The fire, officially named the Club fire by the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), was first called in around 8 p.m. local time Monday night. Starting at the landfill, the fire has since moved north and potentially east, growing stronger but growing away from Flin Flon. It is considered to be "not contained" by the SPSA.
According to the SPSA, the fire has burned 1,000 hectares of land as of 2 p.m. Tuesday, with recent hotspots showing growth to the northeast according to NASA/Fire Information for Resource Management System data. There is no confirmed information about structure losses or injuries caused as a result of the fire.
Local fire departments and provincial fire crews are working on the fire as of Tuesday morning, with a SPSA helicopter being used to dump water on the fire Monday night and water bombers attacking it Tuesday. Heavy smoke was visible to the north and northwest of Creighton and Flin Flon.
Neither Flin Flon, Creighton or Denare Beach are considered to be in danger from the fire as of Tuesday afternoon. The City of Flin Flon is not under an evacuation alert as of 2 p.m., but City leadership is advising people to be prepared in case the situation changes.
"Flin Flon is not currently under an evacuation alert. However, we do advise residents begin taking steps to prepare if the situation changes. It's a good opportunity to begin taking stock of important items, making plans and ensuring your vehicle is fuelled up," reads a statement shared by the City at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Changing wind conditions could blow the fire or smoke from it in different directions. Emergency services coordinators for the community met Tuesday afternoon.
According to the SPSA's May 27 fires of note report, the Club fire is considered "very active" and crews are working at the site with hoses and pumps, with local fire trucks and firefighters on the scene. One area of concern is located not far from the fire site, where a local contractor has a safe storage facility that contains explosives used in underground blasting - members of the Creighton Volunteer Fire Department have been dispatched to keep that area safe from flames.
Roads near Cliff Lake and Kisseynew Lake have been closed to the public as of 4:30 p.m. local time, with the fire now crossing the road to Kisseynew north of the former Trout Lake mine.
The City has set up a fresh air shelter at the Flin Flon Community Hall, putting carbon air filters into the building's air conditioning units.
"In the event that air quality deteriorates due to wind direction, the Flin Flon Community Hall will be a fresh air sanctuary for community members who need it," reads a statement issued Tuesday morning by the City.
"While crews address the fire, we recommend all residents keep their windows and doors closed and to keep air conditioners or air purifiers circulating if your home has them."
Drones
In the meantime, residents are asked to stay away from the fire site if possible and to not fly drones in the area of the fire.
"If drones are spotted in the airspace near a wildfire, all air support must be grounded for the safety of pilots, depriving air support from firefighters on the ground. If you are flying a drone around a wildfire, you are hindering firefighting efforts," reads a statement made Tuesday afternoon by the City.
Drone pilots found guilty of flying their drones near wildfires illegally can be fined up to $15,000. It does not matter whether you see or hear any aircraft in the area."
The Town of Creighton issued an update of their own at 3 p.m., asking residents to keep roads clear for emergency crews, to follow rules and regulations set aside to help deal with the fire and to keep drones on the ground.
"Any drones in the area will ground air support of fires," reads the Town's update.
"We have been informed drones will be shot down."
Highways
Both main roads out of Flin Flon, Creighton and area now have at least partial closures. The Hanson Lake Road (Saskatchewan Highway 106) is closed on the way out of Creighton as of about 4 p.m. Tuesday afternoon - barricades have been place on the highway to block it off.
With that route closed, the only way from the Flin Flon area to Prince Albert and Saskatoon is to go through The Pas and Saskatchewan Highways 9 and 55 - the so-called "tote road".
On the Manitoba side, Manitoba Highway 10 near the turnoff to Sturgeon Landing was closed Tuesday afternoon due to yet another fire nearby. That closure was reversed Tuesday evening - the highway is now full open again as of 8:20 p.m., but visibility may be limited due to smoke.
The Hanson Lake Road is still open between the junction with Saskatchewan Highway 135 to Pelican Narrows and the junction with Saskatchewan Highway 165 - the "La Ronge cutacross" - allowing people from Pelican Narrows and other communities in the area to leave.
The Hanson Lake Road briefly reopened fully to traffic late last week, but large portions of it are now closed. The road was partially closed again Monday as both the Camp and Shoe fires - burning north of Smeaton and south of Caribou Creek, respectively - burned over the highway.
The road was first partially shut down May 9, but reopened May 22 before partially closing again early this week.
Both fires causing the blockade have grown in recent days and, according to the SPSA, remain “not contained”. The Camp fire, the larger of the two, is now more than 75,000 hectares in size, while the Shoe fire has burned about 30,000 hectares of forest to the north. The two fires may join into one single complex, as the Camp fire has most recently been burning north toward the Shoe fire - as of Tuesday, the two blazes have still been kept separate.
No injuries have been reported due to the fires, but some structures at campgrounds around the Shoe fire have burned as a result of the blaze. The SPSA confirms in its incident reports that there have been “values lost” in both the Camp and Shoe fires, with work focusing on protecting property in the Little Bear Lake, East Trout Lake and Lower Fishing Lake areas.
Weather
The weather forecast for the coming week isn’t likely to help matters much. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, extreme fire weather - hot and dry conditions and high winds - are in the forecast all week for northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba until at least June 1. Rain might come early next week along with a cold front, but the system may bring a risk of thunderstorms, which could spark yet more fires.
“A period of unseasonably hot and dry weather is expected over Saskatchewan through Sunday with favourable conditions for the ignition and spread of wildfires in the province. The risk of wildfires is especially probable over northern and central parts of the province because of gusty winds,” reads the Environment Canada update.
“Strong winds associated with a cold front will move across the province on Friday with a risk of thunderstorm. The shift in winds associated with the front will exacerbate the potential spread of existing wildfires.”
In Flin Flon, daytime highs are expected to push into the high 20s and low 30s all week with no precipitation or cloud cover in the forecast until this weekend.
Fire bans
Wide-ranging fire bans have also been called for both Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
A total burn ban for the province of Manitoba was called May 22 after more dry conditions and little rain through May. The ban means no open burning of any kind, including campfires, will be allowed province-wide until conditions improve. The ban covers provincial parks and private properties and burn permits will be cancelled for the duration of the ban.
"Exercise caution when outdoors," reads the ban, listed on the Manitoba Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures website. Fines of up to $10,000 can be issued for anyone starting non-permitted fires in the area and anyone caught starting an unpermitted fire could be held liable for any and all costs for putting it out.
Saskatchewan has had a provincial fire ban in place since May 8, including for areas covered by the Northern Saskatchewan Administrative District.
Local fire bans were already in effect for Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach, as well as the Rural Municipality of Kelsey, The Pas, Snow Lake and other nearby communities. The City of Flin Flon also issued a temporary ban on driving off-road vehicles in city limits, which can produce heat or sparks that could trigger yet more fires.
Anyone who spots a fire in Saskatchewan is asked to call 1-800-667-9660, dial 9-1-1 or call a SPSA forest protection area office. In Manitoba, anyone reporting to fire is asked to call 1-800-782-0076 or 9-1-1.
Pelican Narrows
A partial evacuation order was issued for Pelican Narrows by Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (PBCN) May 25. Buses transporting people with medical issues that could be exacerbated by the nearby smoke out of the area started coming late Sunday night.
On Tuesday morning, PBCN issued a state of emergency for the community and a full mandatory evacuation order for the community, asking all residents to evacuate immediately.
"Conditions have worsened significantly and the safety of our members is the top priority," reads a PBCN statement issued Tuesday morning.
Saskatchewan Highway 135 is also closed between Sandy Bay and Pelican Narrows, effectively shutting off any road access to and from Sandy Bay - Sandy Bay is not under any evacuation orders, but people have begun leaving the community as precaution, taking advantage of a three-hour window early Tuesday morning to head out of town.
Sherridon
A mandatory evacuation order was issued for Sherridon and Cold Lake Sunday afternoon, with residents told to pack up and head out Monday.
Most of the community’s 50 to 100 residents headed away from the area Monday morning. Buses headed out of town from the Cold Lake School Monday, with evacuees either headed to stay at a hotel in Dauphin or with family or friends elsewhere. The road into the community has been closed, with barriers and a roadblock set up near Twin Lakes to keep people away.
The community is under threat from the WE017 fire, which started May 21. Since then, the fire has spread, mostly to the south and east, growing to about 6,320 hectares in size according to Manitoba Wildfire Service (MWS). The fire is still about 12 kilometres away from Sherridon as of Monday night, but is much closer to the road leading to the community. The fire has also burned across the road used to connect Pukatawagan during winter months.
No reports of damage or injuries have been announced by official sources.
Other fires
A fire reported last week near Cranberry Portage has grown moderately in size, but fire crews have kept it from getting much larger.
The blaze, which was first found May 19, has now burned about 40 hectares of land according to MWS and Natural Resources Canada. Fire crews have been at the site intermittently since it was spotted, taking it down from being considered “out of control” to “being held”. Road access near the site at Rat Creek along Athapap Road has been closed while fire crews fight the fire.
The fire is not considered to be a threat either to Cranberry Portage or nearby lake subdivisions.
“We appreciate the prompt response and ongoing efforts of Manitoba Wildfire Services, as well as considerations regarding wind direction in managing this wildfire,” reads a statement issued May 26 by the RM of Kelsey.
“Cranberry Portage experienced an emergency mandatory evacuation last year on May 11, 2024, and the community is grateful to avoid a repeat of that situation this year.”
Elsewhere in the north, both Lynn Lake and Cross Lake issued evacuation orders for at least some residents Tuesday morning as a result of nearby fires.
