The rural municipality of Shellbrook issued an immediate evacuation order on Friday night, May 29, 2026, for residents south of Highway 3 between one mile west and five miles east of Shellbrook due to the fast-moving Lobstick Fire.
The wildfire is expanding toward the northwest, prompting officials to direct evacuees to use the oil service road and register at the Elks Hall.
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The evacuation order excluded the town of Shellbrook as of 8:30 p. m.
, but residents near Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, remain on high alert.
The fire has grown to 130 square kilometers in less than a week and breached the North Saskatchewan River.
Local resident Becca Katz, located 20 kilometers west of Prince Albert, spent Friday shuttling her nine horses to safety.
"It's definitely pretty scary.
We have livestock, and the fire is kind of heading straight towards us, so it definitely puts you on edge," said Katz, a local farm owner.
Katz noted that a thick black cloud of smoke caused her horses to cough, though she felt provincial authorities provided vague guidance during the initial stages of the fire threat.
"We've just been flying by the seat of our pants, really."
The fire was initially reported on Monday, but Katz stated she received no official communication until Thursday night when an emergency notice was briefly issued and then swiftly downgraded to an alert.
"The fire was reported on Monday and we didn't get any notice until yesterday night," said Katz.
Katz expressed frustration with the notification timeline, as she had to rely heavily on a local Facebook community page rather than official provincial channels to monitor the approaching danger.
"That was very poor communication on their end."
The animal owner decided to move her horses three at a time to a neighboring property 30 kilometers away to avoid shifting winds and dense smoke.
"My biggest concern would obviously be losing my home or my animals," said Katz.
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Officials Respond as Fire Threatens Communities
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency noted the blaze began in the provincially managed Nisbet Forest, which crosses through the rural municipality of Duck Lake.
Duck Lake Reeve Remi Martin implemented a municipal fire ban on Tuesday, but lacks the jurisdiction to extend it into the provincial forest land.
"Within seven days we went from an inch and a half of snow and rain on the May long weekend to wildfires.
The government has to adapt a little quicker. Sometimes you've just got to grab the bull by the horns," said Martin.
Martin noted that he inquired with an emergency official regarding the severity of the situation facing the municipality.
"I asked the officer this afternoon, 'How bad is it, from a scale of good to critical?' And we ended up with the word 'bad.'"
Community Safety Minister Michael Weger announced a provincial fire ban on Friday during a news conference in La Ronge, which covers all Crown land south of Highway 55 to prohibit open fires, fireworks, and recreational ATV use.
"I'd say we're being proactive today by putting in the fire ban," said Weger.
Weger clarified that while the ban might not have prevented this specific blaze, the province faces an immediate wildfire threat that requires heightened caution.
"A fire ban wouldn't necessarily have stopped this fire from happening. We are concerned — we're in immediate threat of wildfire in this province," said Weger.
The minister urged residents to err on the side of caution regarding local restrictions as aerial tankers and helicopters continue to battle the blaze.
"If you're unsure if you're in a fire ban area, assume you're in a fire ban area," said Weger.
According to Weger, the Lobstick Fire caused property damage to some outbuildings and agricultural crops, forcing regional ranchers to relocate livestock.
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The community of Lily Plain remains under a voluntary evacuation alert, while nearby areas including McDowell, Duck Lake, and Beardy's and Okemasis First Nation remain under threat.
