Denare Beach is marking one year since the Wolf Fire destroyed more than 200 homes, with rebuilding underway and anxiety high as wildfire season returns.
Denare Beach residents are marking the first anniversary of the Wolf Fire with a community gathering on the shores of Amisk Lake, as rebuilding continues in the northern Saskatchewan village where more than 200 homes were destroyed.
The June 2 commemoration is meant to give neighbours a chance to reconnect and reflect on a year that has brought both new construction and lingering displacement, councillor and deputy mayor Karen Thomson told CBC News. “Some people are still in a place of deep sorrow and some people on the opposite end are feeling totally optimistic and looking forward to the future,” Thomson said.
The Wolf Fire reached Denare Beach and the adjacent Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation reserve on June 2, 2025, after burning nearby for several days. Most residents had already left for safety, while some gathered in Saskatoon that day to urge the province to do more to protect their homes. The fire ultimately destroyed more than 200 homes, and some people remain displaced a year later.
Recovery is visible across the village. Some residents have moved into new homes, while site preparation or construction is underway for dozens more. Others are still waiting to rebuild, including residents dealing with insurance disputes.
Denare Beach resident Brooke Kindel told CBC the pace of work has changed the feel of the community. “Every time you look outside, there’s cement trucks, delivery trucks. It’s just really exciting to be in that place,” she said. Kindel’s family has moved five times since the fire and is now living in a camper trailer in a shop on the property where they plan to rebuild.
The anniversary also comes as the community prepares for another wildfire season. After debris cleanup and rebuilding preparations, local work has included creating fire breaks and wildfire-specific training for fire crews, according to CBC’s report.
Some residents who lost homes are also taking extra precautions. Dustin Trumbley and Joanne Churchill, who received a new ready-to-move home around Christmas, followed a Fire Smart plan that included sprinklers and other measures intended to reduce fire risk.
The experience has left some residents pressing for accountability. Trumbley, who has criticized the province’s wildfire response, wants Saskatchewan’s government to publicly release an independent review of last summer’s wildfire operations. Resident Rhonda Werbicki, who also lost her home, told CBC she hopes lessons from the disaster can help prevent others from going through the same experience.
Thomson said there is concern that some residents may resist a future evacuation because they do not trust the government after last year’s fire. The area is dry again and is currently under a fire ban, leaving residents to balance the work of rebuilding with renewed vigilance as smoke and fire risk return to the summer horizon.
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