2,000 wildfire evacuees from Northern Ontario hosted in Saskatchewan
Posted July 10, 2019 4:34 pm.
PIKANGIKUM, ONT. — The Saskatchewan government has agreed to host up to 2,000 people who have been forced from their homes by wildfires in Northern Ontario.
The Ontario government says more than 20 communities in the province have been affected by the fires, including residents of Pikangikum First Nation.
Earlier Wednesday, the chief of the Indigenous community said evacuation by land and water had been put on hold because of a lack of places to send his people.
Premier Doug Ford says emergency response personnel are working closely with the Ontario Provincial Police and other agencies to fight the fires and ensure people can evacuate safely.
He says he has asked municipalities to help evacuees.
Ford says he asked Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe for help.
