(A wildfire burning near Beauval on Wednesday. (Submitted photo/Rick Laliberte)
wildfires

State of emergency issued for Beauval, voluntary evacuation underway

Jul 2, 2025 | 4:22 PM

Leadership in Beauval has declared a state of emergency and ordered a voluntary evacuation of the northern village.

“We have five fires around our community,” said Beauval Mayor Rick Laliberte.

“Two of them are a major concern to the north of us and one of them is a major concern to the south of us. There’s another fire that is encroaching on the reserve side and then there is one at La Plonge, which is approaching on cabins and we lost a cabin there last night.”

The voluntary evacuation is aimed at residents with underlying health conditions, families with children under five, pregnant women, the elderly, and others requiring specialized medical treatment. Laliberte explained the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) is currently sending residents to hotels in Lloydminster and Saskatoon.

He also noted anyone needing assistance registering with the SPSA can do so at the local Beauval Development Inc. office.

“2015 was our last big evacuation that took place and we wanted a more coordinated effort and for the community to take the registration as well, so we know where people are self-evacuating, if they are going to family or friends, that we have a contact number, and if there are pets or other responsibilities that we at the community level can take care of,” Laliberte said.

“We have some time. The smoke is fortunately to the north right now, but the forecast is going to switch it around in the next couple of days.”

Fires currently burning near Beauval. Beauval is located at the cursor. (Submitted image/Rick Laliberte)

A mandatory evacuation of the English River First Nation reserve of La Plonge, which is located across the Beaver River from Beauval, began last night. Beauval has a population of about 800 people with another 400 people living in the immediate area.

On Wednesday, the nearby community of Ile-a-la Crosse also closed South Bay War Veterans Park as of 8 p.m. until further notice due to a wildfire.

derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

View Comments