A picturesque view of Candle Lake taken May 27 despite a 220,000 hectare wildfire burning 20 kilometres away. (Nick Nielsen/paNOW Staff)

By paNOW Staff

Voluntary evacuation

‘Please do not come to the lake to stay or vacation’; Candle Lake issues plea as wildfire looms

May 28, 2025 | 3:53 PM

The Shoe Fire, which is 220,000 hectares in size, is still 20 kilometres away from Candle Lake, but the Resort Village isn’t taking any changes with the uncontained blaze that is susceptible to wind conditions.

On Wednesday afternoon, a pre-evacuation alert was issued for the Aspen Ridge and Cranberry Creek subdivisions, Torch Light RV Park and surrounding properties.

In addition to the pre-evacuation alert, there is also a Voluntary Evacuation request in place. The goal is to reduce the number of people who need to leave the area if a mandatory evacuation is required.

A post on social media said the Resort Village is asking everyone to consider leaving, especially seniors, families and children, and those who are medically vulnerable.

“Please do not come to the lake to stay or vacation. However, if you need to briefly enter to inspect your property or remove belongings, you may still do so, but you should depart immediately thereafter,” the post read.

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Property owners are also being asked to register with the village office so in the event of an emergency, it can confirm that you are no longer at the property and who to contact if need be. All communication regarding the wildfires will be posted on the Resort Village website, Facebook and through local media.

Some people in Candle Lake are taking the pre-evacuation alerts seriously.

“Last night there was a steady stream of boats and trailers and Ski-Doos going south,” said Candle Lake Mayor Colleeen Lavoie.

Greg White said he’s nervous and feels like he’s doing too much, but wants to be prepared in case something goes wrong.

“Some are taking stuff away and others are choosing to believe that everything is going to be OK. I’m just not taking the risk,” he said.

Michelle Matlock and her husband are packing up family photos, wedding rings and other valuables in case they have to leave. They’ve had a cabin at Candle Lake since 1994.

“Candle Lake is everything to us. It means a lot,” Matlock said.

One person hitting balls at the Candle Lake Golf course said his bags are packed and his car is pointed in the right direction, should he have to leave. He added should the fire actually reach Candle Lake, it would be devastating. Last September, a fire burnt down a building at the golf course that housed the main office and restaurant and they’re still trying to rebuild what was lost last year.

The SPSA Incident Command Centre is operating out of the Resort Village community grounds. On Wednesday, the mayor and fire chief were given good news that the province approved the construction of a firebreak/buffer starting from Minowukaw along Highway 120 towards the Highway 265 junction. Work will begin immediately and will continue around the clock.

Highways 106, 120, 912 and 913 have closures in effect.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com