More residents flee smoke from forest fires in northern Saskatchewan – CP

Source: The Canadian Press
Aug 31, 2017 

PELICAN NARROWS, Sask. _ About 70 people with health concerns and their families have left the northeastern Saskatchewan community of Sandy Bay because smoke is reducing the air quality.

The community declared a state of emergency Wednesday night.

Sandy Bay is at the end of a highway that passes through the community of Pelican Narrows, which is already under a general evacuation order because of smoke and road closures caused by wildfires.

Hundreds of people left Pelican Narrows earlier this week for safety in Saskatoon and Prince Albert, but about 3,000 people remain behind in the community.

Pelican Narrows and Sandy Bay are part of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation.

Vice-chief Harold Linklater says in a Facebook post that if residents choose to stay, they will be on their own with no guarantee of phone lines, power, water or other essential services.

INDEX: HEALTH ENVIRONMENT