At a news briefing yesterday afternoon Executive Director for Wildfire Management Steve Roberts reported the three large uncontained fires in Northeast Saskatchewan are localized in the Pelican Narrows area.  He says they range in size from 6 thousand hectares in the Wilkins fire, 14 thousand for the Preston fire and over 50 thousand hectares in the Granite fire.  Collectively he says these fires are putting heavy smoke into the area and they are causing evacuations for the two small communities of Jan Lake and Birch Portage already and in the priority case the evacuation from Pelican Narrows with access from highway 105 which has been breeched by the fires so it can only be used if they are guided through the area.

Roberts added the province is focused on the priorities of protecting people, property and critical infrastructure in the Pelican Narrows area.  He expects with weather conditions, wind changes and heavy fuel that they will continue to see aggressive fire activity around the clock with no reprieve from weather conditions for at least a week.