The fire of the Red Lake 12 initiated evacuation commands for Deer Lake and Sandy Lake First Nations.
Sandy Lake – A lot of land was “destroyed” by the forest fire, which forced an evacuation of the Sandy Lake First Nation Reserve, but luckily there was no life lost and the management of the community has prevailed.
In short, Kiiwewinoong Mpp Sol Mamakwa's assessment after a recent visit to the reserve around 230 kilometers northeast of Red Lake.
“There is a lot of land that is destroyed,” said Mamakwa in an interview on Monday.
“It was very emotional that some of the leadership burned down some of their camps (and) cabins … (because) to be in the country is a way of life,” he said.
Mamakwa said when he left the fly-in community, he was able to see the fire and his destruction “almost to Deer Lake to the Deer Lake? How, it's just over.”
The Red Lake 12 Fire brought news for the first time at the end of May when its quick growth performed the evacuation from the Deer Lake southwest of Sandy Lake.
The fire quickly expanded towards Sandy Lake, where an evacuation decision was issued on June 7th.
It has spread to more than 175,000 hectares, and the Ministry of Natural Resources reported on Monday evening that the fire was “not under control”, but also did not move closer to one of the two community.
Mamakwa said the strength of the community and the leadership in Sandy Lake was a key feature of his “eye opening” in Sandy Lake, who is in the expansive riding of the new Democrat.
When his flight in the airfield of Sandy Lake landed, he saw people there who “brought vehicles back to the owners' houses, and they were about halfway. The parking lot was only full of vehicles. That is the first thing I noticed.”
The scene in the band office could be described as “organized chaos” as chief Delores Kakegamic and many of the approximately 200 people who are still in Sandy Lake worked hard, said Mamakwa.
The damage from Red Lake 12 and the proximity of the great fire to the community were “very scary,” he said, but Sandy Lake First Nation had “very happy” to have caused significant damage to the vital infrastructure and not lost life against fire.
“And I think it only speaks for the problems of climate change with which we are confronted every summer, and I think every community must have an evacuation plan for the summer.”
Mamakwa's visit to Sandy Lake also included the meeting with MNR fire brigade.
Ontario needs “more firefighters on site” and more support for hard -working communities in the north, he said.