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The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency says the Lobstick Fire has reached 19,000 hectares in size but has not grown since Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Crews continue suppression efforts on the fire that is slightly bigger than the size of Regina.

Type 1 and Type 2 firefighters, supported by heavy equipment, water tenders, local fire departments and aircraft, are working on both flanks of the fire. Officials say aircraft have successfully anchored the head of the fire into Callaghan Lake, while crews on the east flank near Macdowall continue building dozer lines and extinguishing hot spots. The Hamlet of Holbein, which is 11 km northeast of the fires’ northeast boundaries, is surrounded by irrigation lines feeding perimeter sprinkler heads. A fire guard was also constructed on the southwest corner of the community.

Additional measures, including fire gel protection for homes and a large sprinkler system near Holbein, are being put in place to help protect communities and slow the fire’s spread.

The blaze has triggered an evacuation order for the RM of Shellbrook, with has affected about 130 people so far. Shellbrook Fire and Rescue is again asking people to stay off backroads south of town, warning that unnecessary travel is creating safety hazards for firefighters and has even forced water bombers to abort some drops.

The evacuation order does not include the Town of Shellbrook, although acute care patients and long-term care residents were moved from the Parkland Integrated Health Centre as a precaution. The emergency room remains open, and the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency reports the nearby Lobstick wildfire remains out of control.

There are currently 10 active wildfires in the province, two of which are not contained, according to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.