Kenora prepared to house Red Lake evacuees
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The City of Kenora is prepared to house up to 200 evacuees amid the ongoing forest fire raging in Red Lake.
Kenora’s emergency control group has been activated and is working “closely” with the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre and the Town of Red Lake in accepting evacuees, Kenora Fire and Emergency Services Chief Todd Skene told the Miner and News.
“We are not taking any evacuees at this time, we’re on a holding list for evacuees,” Skene said in a phone interview Tuesday. “But we’re ready to go if they need to go. We’ve got cots and that available.”
Skene said the control group has compiled a list of available places for people to stay from local camps and resorts. The preference is to house people in hotels but there are no rooms available in Kenora at this time, Skene said. Thirty-one residents of Northwood Lodge in Red Lake are currently staying at Pinecrest in Kenora. Skene mentioned some people have self-evacuated and are staying with friends and family in Kenora.
“Right now we’re on hold,” he said. “We’re working with Red Cross also on cots and things like that. We would house people, in a mass evacuation at the Kenora Rec Centre, if required.”
“We are geared up and ready to go if we require.”
Red Lake Fire 49 is currently 1,359 acres in size and could force the closure of Highway 105. As of Tuesday afternoon, Highway 105 remains open southbound for people to leave the community, according to Aviation Forest Fires and Emergency Services. There are approximately 1,500 to 2,000 people still in Red Lake, according to Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford. Red Lake municipality said they have eight flights scheduled to Thunder Bay. Anyone still in Red Lake is advised to report to the arena or call 727-7106 if you require assistance.
“Arrangements for airlifting were already underway but we’ve now reached out to the Canadian Armed Forces to understand whether larger aircraft can move into the area,” Rickford said in a phone interview.
Rickford said there are plans to evacuate the First Nation community of Fort Hope east of Red Lake due to heavy smoke in the area.
rstelter@postmedia.com
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