WEYBURN – The City of Weyburn is currently hosting wildfire evacuees from northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, but officials say coordination of support services remains under provincial authority.
City spokesperson Paige Tenbult clarified Sunday that while Weyburn is providing shelter for displaced residents, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) and provincial government are leading the response.
“At the time, the city is not formally involved in managing these efforts and does not have authority to answer the questions you've asked,” she said.
The Weyburn Police Service (WPS) also addressed the situation Saturday, confirming on a social media post that evacuees are being housed in local hotels but urging residents not to drop off physical donations.
“We are grateful to our community showing up to support and lend a hand, however we ask that you do not bring or leave any items to the hotels at this time,” said Weyburn Police Service on social media. “For people wanting to donate, many of our local businesses are accepting donations for the Red Cross, which will go towards the essentials needed at this time.”
Tenbult echoed the WPS’s message, praising the community’s generosity while emphasizing the importance of organized support.
“We would echo the words of WPS that we are heartened by the support and generosity for those currently in our community, but if people would like to help, it is best to ensure they are coordinating donations through local organizations that are already in contact with public agencies such as Red Cross,” said Tenbult. “This helps ensure that support is safe, timely and meets actual needs.”
Sturgeon Landing has already been evacuated and on Sunday afternoon, another evacuation order was issued. This time for the Northern Hamlet of Timber Lake due to a nearby fire threatening the community. Those residents must immediately gather their pets, important documents, medication, and enough supplies to last at least 3 days away from home and evacuate. Evacuees are being directed to take Highways 969 and 2 and proceed to Meridian Inn and Suites located at 3800 Harbour Landing Drive in Regina.
Environment Canada has issued air quality warnings for parts of Saskatchewan due to the out-of-control wildfires. Yesterday, Environment Canada issued an air quality warning for the Estevan area, including Estevan and Hitchcock.
More to come. This is a developing story.
