Northern forest fires threaten towns

Fires that have been sweeping across northern Saskatchewan's forests are now directly threatening communities,the provincial Environment Department says.

Six communities remain under evacuation order because of the firesand nearly 2,000 people have fled their homes. Those include English Bay, Wadin Bay, Sucker River, Stanley Mission, Grandmother's Bay and Nemeiben Lake.

The communities of Beauval and Patuanak are also being monitored closely.

Steve Roberts, executive director of the province's fire management office, said fires are very close to some of the towns.

"Staff and folks from those communities have actually worked fires," he said. "We've even had spot fires in these communities themselves. So it's an ongoing, changing process, but it's not just that they're miles away from these communities — they're on the edges of these towns."

The105 fires burning across the northcovermore than580,000 hectares — an area bigger than Prince Edward Island. Someof the fires are huge, with one near the Alberta border consuming 110,000 hectares.

'Flames by day and thick smoke by night'

Cottage owners are among those watching the fire reports from a distance, and crossing their fingers that their summer homes are not destroyed.

Gus MacAuley is one of three or four people left in English Bay trying to do what they can to protect the buildings.

MacAuley, a former head of the province's forest fire management branch, has seen this kind of situation before, but says he still finds it unnerving.

"There are flames by day and thick smoke by night, and there is a whole feeling of apprehension among everybody that's here," he said.

"We don't know where the flames are going to come from next in certain cases. And folks are very traumatized by having to leave their homes. And it's not very good for small children who love to be here, and yet are afraid that something's going to happen."

Highway 102closed

Meanwhile, Highway 102, the roadleading to Stanley Mission and many of the communities north of La Ronge that are under threat, remains closed.

It hadbeen declared off limits to the people who have been evacuated from their homes, but earlier this week,was still open topeople like Andrew Bigsmoke, heading to places that are not affected by the fires.

"I don't find it dangerous," said Bigsmoke, who was planning tohitchhike north several hundred kilometres to Black Lake. "I'm from the north and I fought fires for 10 years so I'm pretty well used to these kind of closures."

However, by Wednesday, the highway was closedto everyone exceptthose transporting supplies to firefighters.