Cliff Buettner was only two days into his retirement when he was called back to help fight Saskatchewan's raging wildfires.
"This is far beyond anything that I've experienced in my 40 years," said the former director of forestry and emergency protective services for the Prince Albert Grand Council.
"I've been in some pretty dire situations and this is some of the worst I've seen."
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Residents of La Ronge, Air Ronge, the Lac La Ronge Indian Band and everywhere within a 20-kilometre radius had to evacuate by Tuesday afternoon as fire rapidly made its way toward those northern Saskatchewan communities.
'I've never seen anything like it': Sask. premier says thousands more may need to evacuate in coming
The Rona at the community