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Prairie wildfires developed on two fronts Friday, as 1,000 more Manitoba residents were forced to flee their homes and Saskatchewan RCMP charged two people with starting blazes.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe told a news conference that one charge relates to starting a fire near La Ronge, which has forced 7,000 people from the area.

“The RCMP have informed us that they have now charged a couple of individuals,” Moe said.

An 18-year-old woman from Montreal Lake Cree Nation and a 36-year-old man from Pelican Narrows each face one count of arson, said RCMP.

As wildfires rage up north, a Swift Current resident and Flin Flon native is watching anxiously.

Carrie Davis grew up in Flin Flon, and has been keeping a close eye on the updates.

"It's very stressful," Davis said. "Every day, the news is different. Last weekend, the mayor had said it was make it or break it for the town. Then we felt we were in the clear, but then we lost Denare Beach.

Lions Clubs across northern Saskatchewan are rallying together to provide urgent aid to evacuees displaced by ongoing wildfires in the region. The effort is being bolstered by a $15,000 USD emergency grant from the Lions Clubs International Foundation. 

Work is continuing on getting wildfires in Saskatchewan's north controlled, with the latest update from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.

As of Yesterday afternoon, around 10-15 thousand people have been evacuated, with 30 communities seeing residents flee the fires. In northern Saskatchewan, 27 wildfires are currently raging, with six of those uncontained, another six contained, 12 undergoing assessment, and three protecting values. The total year-to-date number for wildfires is 246, nearly doubling the five-year average of 138.

Weyburn has become a temporary home to around 80 evacuees from the Creighton and Flin Flon areas. 

Read more: Weyburn, other communities welcome wildfire evacuees

After leaving their home in Creighton under the direction of the SPSA, Amanda MacQuarrie's family arrived at the Ramada hotel in Weyburn over the weekend.

Devastating wildfires continue to rage in northern Saskatchewan, displacing thousands of people in communities including La Ronge, Air Ronge, Creighton, and Flin Flon. Weyburn has become a refuge for some of those displaced, welcoming approximately 80 evacuees. 

The Swift Current Fire Department has offered some assistance to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) to combat the widespread wildfires in the northern portion of the province.

Ryan Hunter, the fire chief for the Swift Current Fire Department, said two firefighter paramedics and a rehab unit were proposed to the SPSA, but the aid hadn't been accepted as of Wednesday afternoon.

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

Both provinces declared provincewide states of emergency last week to allow various levels of government to co-ordinate resources and support.

The federal government announced Wednesday that it would match every dollar donated to the Canadian Red Cross that will support wildfire disaster relief and recovery efforts across Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Wildfires in Saskatchewan and Manitoba continue to burn out of control as fierce winds and bone-dry conditions intensify the crisis, forcing evacuations and threatening northern communities.

As of Monday, more than 2.1 million hectares have burned nationwide—already surpassing the annual average for Canada, with summer still weeks away. The hardest-hit regions include northern Saskatchewan and northwestern Manitoba, where relentless northwest winds are pushing smoke, flames and embers across vast swaths of boreal forest and into populated areas.