For the most current information, read the daily updates provided by Parks Canada at Important Bulletins
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Hello neighbours, residents, businesses, partners and friends of Prince Albert National Park,
As we begin the week, fire crews continue to work strategically on different areas of the fire. Additional fire personnel have arrived from British Columbia. The forecasted weather for the remainder of the week is expected to be hot and dry. This change fire weather conditions may result in increased fire behaviour over the coming days.
We continue to operate under a unified command structure with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency. The Parks Canada Incident Management Team (IMT) is fully integrated into the joint command structure and all operations are running smoothly.
While the risk to the community of Waskesiu is not imminent it still exists, and we must remain vigilant. The pre-evacuation alert for Prince Albert National Park on SaskAlert remains in effect. Parks Canada continues to actively FireSmart priority areas in the community of Waskesiu, and many residents may be doing the same on their own leaseholds.
Please find attached the daily joint Parks Canada and Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency Information Bulletin and the latest update.
The Buhl Fire has burned approximately 76 297 hectares – 12 514 hectares within park boundaries and 63 783 hectares on provincial Crown land. Current resources assigned to the incident include 224 personnel not including additional SPSA support staff, 11 helicopters, one infrared scanning drone and 9 pieces of heavy equipment. The Buhl Fire response also has access to additional air support as and if required, including water tankers.
There is an evacuation order in effect for the Resort Subdivision of Ramsey Bay and Ramsey Bay Campground. All residents are required to evacuate as soon as possible. For more information, call 1-855-559-5502.
Fire Distance from Communities: Please note these are approximations and not exact distances. This information is only provided as a reference. Continue to monitor and follow instructions provided through the various emergency channels. The was no significant growth towards communities on July 27.
Ramsey Bay – 4.1 km
Montreal Lake – 12.5 km
Waskesiu – 30.6 km
Bittern Lake – 31.8 km
Elk Ridge – 34.8 km
McPhee Lake – 37.9 km
Our thoughts remain with friends and neighbours in the community of Ramsey Bay.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Duquette
Field Unit Superintendent, Northern Prairies
This email is being shared by Parks Canada using information available from the joint morning bulletins. For the most up to date information relevant to your community or region please be in touch with the local authority.
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What Parks Canada is doing: During periods of extreme fire danger, Prince Albert National Park fire crews enter a heightened state of readiness. We proactively prepare for wildfire by anticipating where and when wildfires will start by closely monitoring fire indices. We have fire management personnel and equipment in place and are ready to respond. Daily aerial patrols are also conducted via helicopter. The plans and protocols to respond to wildfires within the park are in place. A dedicated team of fire personnel is on site to provide additional support. Residents may start to see fire suppression equipment placed on some buildings and more fire personnel on site as part of this preparedness.
We continue to plan and prepare for all emergency scenarios that could happen in Prince Albert National Park. Earlier this spring, we did some valuable emergency planning - refining our wildfire preparedness plans and updating the townsite evacuation plan. The internal tabletop exercise conducted in June tested the park’s emergency response plan – clarifying roles and responsibilities within the incident command team, identifying gaps in communication and coordination, practicing timely decision making and evaluating the effectiveness of the evacuation plan. As always, we continue to work with our partners including the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
Parks Canada thanks visitors, residents, business operators for their care and cooperation in reducing wildfire risk and to sharing accurate and timely information. Please take care of yourselves and each other. We share in our passion for Prince Albert National Park and we will manage through this challenging time together.
