Heavy Smoke Means Shoal Lake and Red Earth Cree Nation Evacuees Will Have to Wait Longer to Return | The Canadian News

The Shoal Lake Cree Nation and Red Earth Cree Nation evacuees will have to wait a little longer to get home.

Smoke from the Bell Fire at the end of the season near Hudson Bay, Sask., Continues to blow into communities, making air quality dangerous to the health of many people.

While the colder temperatures have helped smother the flames, the smoke has caused air quality to plummet. Shoal Lake is six or seven out of 10 on the Air Quality Health Index.

4:44Update on the Bell Fire near Hudson Bay, Sask.

More than 700 people were evacuated to Prince Albert and Saskatoon earlier this month.

Still, the Shoal Lake Cree Nation boss said some members have returned home against advice, including his own sister.

“These are people who don’t really take into consideration the health hazard they’re putting themselves in, but we have those people who just don’t want to listen,” Chief Marcus Head said.

Head said the forecast winds are expected to continue to push smoke into the community. He said that many houses in Shoal Lake need repair, and people on the ground say smoke is seeping into their houses.

Indigenous Services of Canada is helping supply home air purifiers. Head said many are eager to go home.

“It has been a long time since we were evacuated and they want to go home, but we have told them that we do not want to put their health at risk,” he said.

He said the province should have done more to fight the fire earlier.

He said the First Nation is working on a strategy to push the Saskatchewan government to work with First Nations communities on fire prevention and emergency plans.