Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency

The federal and provincial governments have announced they will match Red Cross donations to help those affected by wildfires burning in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

The latest wildfire evacuees in Saskatchewan are being told to head south to Prince Albert after being ordered to leave the northern town of La Ronge.

Officials with the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation announced the move, saying the Flanagan fire was directly threatening their community of Sandy Bay.

Saskatchewan residents are swimming in COVID tests, leading some residents to send them to family members in other provinces where the tests aren't available.

A lengthy rainfall and strong winds could dissipate the raging wildfires and smoky air gripping parts of Western Canada but that's not what's in the forecast for this week, says a senior climatologist with Environment Canada.

British Columbia's government says accommodations for wildfire evacuees are filling up as the flames and smoke from numerous blazes spread, forcing more people from their homes and contributing to an eerie, acrid haze that's blanketing cities in neighbouring Alberta.

The federal government on Thursday, February 6, 2020, ordered lower speed limits for all trains carrying large amounts of dangerous goods, hours after a fiery derailment in rural Saskatchewan sent thick black smoke into the air.