Wildfire burning outside P.A. contained, power restoration expected at 8 p.m.

The Cloverdale fire burning northeast of Prince Albert has been declared “contained,” with no growth occurring in the past day and no further expansion expected.

Steve Roberts, vice-president of operations with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA), credited the efforts of firefighters as well as a wild swing toward favourable weather.

On Tuesday, the temperature at 10 a.m. was a blistering 29 C. On Thursday morning, the mercury only reached -2 C, with a high expected of just 6 C.

“In the next few days, we should see provincewide favourable weather conditions for firefighting efforts — lower temperatures, lower winds and areas where we will see precipitation starting in the province,” Roberts said during a briefing on Thursday.

No homes have been destroyed and Roberts said no new structures have been lost.

“Both the industrial sites and the public infrastructure in the area remains in its current configuration with no damage reported on those either,” he said.

According to Joan Hrycyk, the SPSA’s director of emergency and crisis support, 59 people have registered as evacuees. Forty of them are being supported in Prince Albert with food, clothing and shelter at the Holiday Inn while 19 have either left to be with family and friends or have gone home.

At last check, the fire spans 5,583 hectares and Roberts said there will likely be growth within the perimeter. Crews and equipment will continue to identify hotspots and put them out through ground efforts.

The inferno caused power outages to the region north of the city, stretching as far north as Stanley Mission. About 8,000 customers are still without electricity.

SaskPower crews have since been cleared to enter the area to restore power and have been working “non-stop,” said SaskPower spokesperson Joel Cherry.

“We made some progress on the transmission line (overnight). However, we’ve experienced some equipment issues and we’ve had to contend with some extremely difficult, boggy terrain around some of the structures,” Cherry said.

Cherry said some of SaskPower’s machines have been getting stuck. As a result, the estimated time to restore power for most customers has been adjusted to 8 p.m.

“We have all the necessary equipment and materials on site there. So it’s just a matter of getting in there and getting the repairs done and getting that line re-energized,” he said, adding that once the main line is back on, some customers might remain in the dark as “distribution issues” are worked out.

An investigation has also started. Roberts said for the past 48 hours, the SPSA has been working on a joint probe with the Prince Albert Fire Department on determining the cause.