By Canadian Press

Saskatchewan First Nation calls for help after community evacuated due to wildfire

Aug 14, 2024 | 11:25 AM

SANDY BAY, SASK. — The leadership of a Saskatchewan First Nation has called for help and says the province is failing to act hours after issuing an evacuation order for Sandy Bay, Sask. due to an escalating wildfire.

A statement Tuesday from officials with the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation said the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency has refused to hire hundreds of qualified First Nations firefighters to tackle the blaze near the community of 1,800 in the province’s northeast.

“Their reasoning? A lack of proper personal protective equipment (PPE). They say that our firefighters only have cotton overalls instead of the Nomex fabric coveralls required for fighting these intense fires,” Chief Peter Beatty said in the statement.

He said First Nations have access to the necessary gear, including hats and boots, and are also properly trained — but the agency is not deploying them.

“The real issue seems to be a lack of commitment to putting out the fire, not the capability of our firefighters,” Beatty said.

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“We cannot stand by while excuses are made. Our people are ready to protect their land, but they are being denied the opportunity because the SPSA isn’t prioritizing the resources needed to ensure their safety. It feels like they do not want to put the fire out.”

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency did not immediately provide a comment.

The last update on the agency’s website says the fire was estimated to be about 130 square kilometres in size and was burning within 20 kilometres of Sandy Bay. It identifies the cause as lightning.

Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte of the Prince Albert Grand Council said in the statement Saskatchewan’s approach to fighting fires disregards northern First Nations communities.

“This isn’t just a policy failure; it’s a failure of leadership and moral responsibility of the provincial government. Prioritizing economic considerations over human lives and environmental protection is both short-sighted and dangerous,” he said.

“These aren’t just remote forests — they are our homes, our sacred lands, and our future. To let them burn without doing everything possible to extinguish the flames is an unforgivable betrayal of our trust.”

Sandy Bay is about 430 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon near the Manitoba boundary.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2024.

— By Jeremy Simes in Regina

The Canadian Press