The Pisew Fire is burning four kilometers from Hall Lake. (Facebook/Cook-Searson Tammy Jim)

By Derek Cornet

Pisew Fire

Wildfire deemed non-threatening to nearby Hall Lake: SPSA

May 22, 2025 | 1:42 PM

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) said the uncontained Pisew fire burning near Besnard Lake Road is not a threat to Hall Lake, about 105 kilometres southwest of La Ronge.

The fire, which grew overnight from 700 to 5,000 hectares, is burning only four kilometres from the community. The wind is currently blowing the fire westward away from Hall Lake.

“We are getting prepared just in case because you never know with forecasts,” said Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB) Chief Tammy Cook-Searson.

“They could change at any moment. We are getting buses ready. We will have Charlie’s Charters buses there on standby, and we’re also getting Red Cross ready just in case we have to evacuate.”

Currently, there are seven fire crews, two helicopters, two skimmers (water bombers) and a bird dog working the Pisew Fire. Later today, sprinklers will be set up on the west side of Hall Lake, and there will be training for Type 3 firefighters on Friday.

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“We are also mindful of the fire smoke,” Cook explained.

“There is fire smoke coming in from the eastside fires that’s coming into our communities, and the other one is the Pisew Fire. That smoke can also shift, so we are making plans right now. We set up an emergency management team, so we will be making decisions together with the community.”

Cook-Searson noted the band has good working relationships with the SPSA, the Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority, Prince Albert Grand Council’s First Nations Emergency Management, and Indigenous Services Canada when LLRIB communities are at risk. She added all LLRIB communities also have Type 2 firefighters with training on an ongoing basis.

“Our band staff and members are very well trained,” Cook-Searson said.

“Every situation is different, and things change on a moment’s notice, so you just never know. You can’t predict what is going to happen, but we do our best to try and be as prepared as can be.”

Environment and Climate Change Canada is forecasting sunny skies in the Lac La Ronge region starting this weekend with the temperature reaching 30 C by Tuesday. Aside from a 30 per cent chance of rain on Thursday, there is no precipitation in the forecast.

Other wildfires of note

In the East Trout Lake resort area, about 165 kilometres northeast of Prince Albert, residents were issued an evacuation order on May 21 due to the possibility of the Camp and Shoe wildfires growing. A local state of emergency has also been declared.

The Camp fire, started on May 6, north of Snowden has grown to over 42,000 hectares and is not contained. The fire is currently being actioned with Type 1 and Type 2 crews, heavy equipment, air tankers with water and fire gels, helicopters and an emergency response team.

The Shoe fire around Lower Fishing Lake is 20,000 hectares in size and is uncontained. Highways in the area are still closed.

The pre-evacuation alert issued by the Village of Candle Lake and Rural Municipality of Paddockwood have been lifted as crews continue to make progress in containing the fires burning in that area. The municipal and provincial fire bans still remain in effect.

The Jaysmith fire started on May 19 Northeast of Missinipe from a lightning strike and has grown from 110 hectares to 1,000 in just a few days. The Wolf wildfire, west of Denare Beach, is currently 1,100 hectares. The McIlveena Mine Site is in the affected area and has been evacuated. Neither of those fires are contained.

As of May 22, there is a total of 13 active wildfires across the province with six of them considered not contained, five of them contained and two of them still under ongoing assessment.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com