Saskatchewan First Nation Calls for Evacuation of 1,800 Residents Amid Wildfire, Inquires About Provincial Support
Saskatchewan First Nation leaders are calling for “immediate action and accountability” from the province hours after issuing an evacuation order in response to an advancing wildfire.
Officials with the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation issued evacuation orders Aug. 13 for Sandy Bay First Nation, a community of 1,800, as an uncontrolled wildfire near Flanagan Lake creeps closer to the community. The last update from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) said the Flanagan wildfire was approximately 130 square kilometres in size and was burning within 20 kilometres of Sandy Bay.
The leadership of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation and Prince Albert Grand Council issued a press release on Aug. 13, criticizing the provincial agency’s response to the wildfire.
Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation Chief Peter Beatty said earlier containment of the blaze could have prevented the “current crisis.”
The statement also suggests the provincial entity has not approved the activation of hundreds of trained First Nations firefighters despite their willingness to help.
“There are hundreds of qualified First Nations firefighters ready and willing to assist but the SPSA has refused to hire them claiming it is too dangerous,” Beatty said, calling the decision a “serious oversight.”
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