'Our ancestral lands are at stake': Wildfires burning close to Sask. First Nations

Elder Ernest Flett says the smoke from nearby wildfires is so thick in his home community of Shoal Lake Cree Nation that he couldn’t see the houses surrounding his own.

“You could see the smoke all over the place, it seems like a fog,” he described.

“I’m so worried about our homes. Our pet is still there, I hope he’s okay.”

Flett is one out of 581 people from Shoal Lake who have registered as evacuees fleeing the fires through the Canadian Red Cross, according to Chief Marcel Head. Flett is staying at a hotel in Prince Albert.

Red Earth Cree Nation has also evacuated about 600 people to Saskatoon.