LA RONGE — The La Ronge Regional Fire Department expressed appreciation on social media, thanking local fire departments for travelling north to help fight the wildfires.
"It's been a long week for our firefighters. They've been hard at work protecting our communities. We've had some hard and long days with ups and downs, and everyone is doing their best," the La Ronge Regional Fire Department posted.
"This fire event is much worse than the 2015 fires. We've lost structures both in town and in surrounding communities, which is never what we want. We just want residents to know that we are doing everything we possibly can. We are forever grateful to the departments that came to help defend:"
- Prince Albert Fire Department
- St. Louis Fire Department
- Wakaw–Hoodoo Fire Department
- Dalmeny Fire Department
- Buckland Fire and Rescue
- Yorkton Fire Department
- Melfort Fire Department
- Humboldt Fire Department
- Cudworth Fire Department
A post from Melfort Fire and Rescue on June 7 said: "Today was a prep day. Crews used the time to monitor for any hot spots — of which very few were found — but also used the time to prepare for the next push. The rain will likely stop tonight and higher winds are expected tomorrow. The Shoe Fire continues to work its way north. Crews will try to get some rest and be prepared for whatever tomorrow brings."
Local fire departments from across Saskatchewan are sending crews in rotating shifts to support northern wildfire suppression. The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) confirmed its efforts involve widespread local support, including more than 200 local firefighters in addition to 200 SPSA firefighters and 400 northern community and First Nation firefighters.
