Long weekend relief as Waterhen Lake First Nation settles back home after fire evacuations

Hundreds of people, along with their pets, have returned to Waterhen Lake First Nation this weekend after a wildfire threatened access to the only road out of the community.

"I think the hardest part about it was kind of seeing the people go and kind of anxiety that they were having, and having to stay calm through all that and just kind of let them know ...the danger in this situation,to convince them to get out of the community," he said.

Ernest and about 100 others remained in the community, along withRCMPofficers, securing homes and making sure there were no break-ins while crews battled what has been dubbed the Tuff Fire.

Many in Saskatoon were able to get out and enjoy activities like swimming, watching movie and playing floor hockey. Those with respiratory issues and medical conditions are staying in hotels throughout the weekend while smoke clears up, according correspondence by band councillor Dustin Fiddler.

Residents can still see smoke in the air and some flare-ups from across the lake, "but it looks like they got a lot of resources on it so I don't think we're in any real danger anymore," Ernest said.

The stress of the past week is now melting away for Ernest, whose family had been up at Cole Lake, and they are now able to relax and spend the weekend together.

Waterhen Lake is planning a thank you meal for volunteers who assisted through the past week, including Meadow Lake Humane Society personnel who helped round up dogs to care for in Meadow Lake and also left behind dog food for the dogs they couldn't wrangle up. The surrounding First Nation of Flying Dust and the Meadow Lake Tribal Council also lent a hand.

Fires and risk across the province

Extreme fire warnings remain in place this long weekend, as the Waterhen Lake-region Tuff Fire and the Crutwell-area Rally Fire are expected to grow while fire crews continue to battle them. They are both listed as larger than 100 hectares by the province's wildfire management branch.