Members of Big Stone Cree, Dene Tha’, Loon River and Peerless Trout First Nations evacuated due to wildfires

Members of four First Nations in northern Alberta were forced to evacuate due to ongoing wildfires in the region, with no clear date set for a return home.

As of June 16, residents of the Dene Tha’ First Nation in Chateh, Big Stone Cree Nation in Lake Chipewyan, Loon River First Nation and Peerless Trout First Nation remain evacuated after being forced from their homes on May 29.

The Sousa Creek wildfire, burning 5 km south of Chateh, has more than quadrupled in size since May 30, reaching 41,242 hectares.

Chateh residents have been evacuated to High Level, the nearby Dene Tha’ reserve, Bushe River and Peace River.

The Bushe Four Chiefs Complex has hosted Stanley Cup finals watch parties for evacuees to see the Edmonton Oilers take on the Florida Panthers.

According to Dene Tha’ First Nation’s June 9 wildfire status update, heavy equipment operators were working to contain the fire along its northeastern and northwestern perimeters. A helipad is slated for construction on the northeastern side of the perimeter to support aerial operations.

A sprinkler system has been set up on the southern edge of Chateh to provide structural protection.

There are 91 firefighters, nine helicopters, two heavy helicopters, three bulldozer crews, two air tankers and an Alberta Forestry incident command system working to contain the fire, according to the First Nation’s update.

Evacuations Continue Across the Region

Further south, the Loon River and Peerless Trout First Nations, as well as Bigstone Cree Nation members who live in Chipewyan Lake, were forced to evacuate due to two out-of-control wildfires in the Red Earth East Complex. One fire was 68,565 hectares and the other 12,661 hectares as of June 10.

In a live video recorded at 2 a.m. on May 29, Loon River Chief Ivan Sawan ordered his community’s evacuation to Edmonton, with a reception centre established in Slave Lake for mandatory registration. Peerless Trout band members were also evacuated to Edmonton.

In a June 7 video update, Chief Sawan thanked Loon River community members for abiding by the evacuation order.

“I know it’s frustrating, I know it’s very tiresome, and people are uneasy and anxiety starts to set in sometimes,” said Sawan.

As of the previous day, he said, all oil and gas activity was prohibited in the wildfire areas.

“Unless there is significant rainfall or Alberta Wildfire crews can gain some containment, we don’t know when people will be able to return home,” said Chief Sawan.

Once the fire is confined, he added, it will likely be five to seven days before evacuees can return.

Response and Containment Efforts Underway

A June 10 update on the Red Earth East Complex from Alberta noted that the previous day, helicopters were actively bucketing the northwest and east sides of the larger wildfire. Heavy equipment operators were fortifying containment lines on the northwest corner and another line moving from the southwest to northwest side of the fire.

On the smaller wildfire, helicopters were bucketing along its east side while heavy equipment crews attempted to connect containment lines with nearby Peerless Lake and Long Lake.

In addition to one-time provincial funding for wildfire evacuees ($1,250 per adult and $500 per child), Loon River First Nation is providing evacuated members with a daily stipend of $130.

Loon River is also hosting a series of activities for evacuees in Edmonton, including a scavenger hunt at West Edmonton Mall, hide-and-seek at an indoor playground, a beach volleyball tournament at the University of Alberta for junior and high school students, and a youth cornhole tournament.

Damage in Chipewyan Lake and Broader Impacts

On June 1, Bigstone Cree Chief Andy Alook revealed that the wildfire had spread into Chipewyan Lake hours after its evacuation, with firefighters reporting the apparent destruction of 27 buildings, including the seniors centre, water treatment plant, church and health centre.

During a June 6 update with MD of Opportunity Reeve Marcel Auger, Alook said an aerial investigation revealed the damage was significantly worse, with 38 structures destroyed, representing nearly half of all buildings in Chipewyan Lake.

“The information is still not 100 per cent accurate until we have a boots-on-the-ground assessment completed,” cautioned Auger.

“We will need to complete assessments of the community. We will also need to conduct a major cleanup and rebuild damaged infrastructure.”

Alook added he’s working to obtain temporary housing for band members in the Bigstone Cree territory of Wabasca.

National Scope of Wildfires

The epicentre of the wildfires burning across the country has been Manitoba, with at least 21,000 residents forced to evacuate from 27 communities, including the Mathias Colomb Cree Nation (Pukatawagan), Marcel Colomb First Nation, Pimicikamak Cree Nation and Tataskweyak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba.

The four Anisininew Okimawin First Nations — Garden Hill, St. Theresa Point, Wasagamack and Red Sucker Lake — and Misipawistik Cree Nation have evacuated vulnerable residents.

In B.C., Fort Nelson First Nation issued an evacuation order on June 6.