Smoke from forest fires forces general evacuation of Pelican Narrows, Sask.

PELICAN NARROWS, Sask. – A general evacuation has been ordered for a northeastern Saskatchewan community because of smoke and road closures caused by wildfires.

The Saskatchewan government says emergency social services is preparing to receive an additional 1,100 people from the community of Pelican Narrows.

The government says the plan is to send 500 of those residents to Saskatoon shelters and hotels and 600 to hotels in Prince Albert.

The general evacuation comes after about 450 people – including the elderly, those with health concerns and their families – were forced to leave on Tuesday.

Pelican Narrows is under a special air-quality statement from Environment Canada because of high levels of air pollution due to smoke from forest fires in northern Saskatchewan.

The statement covers a wide area from Spiritwood in central Saskatchewan, east to the Manitoba boundary and north to La Ronge.