Fire could be seen from Stony Rapids on Sunday before the community was evacuated. (Submitted by Ken Sayies)

Forest fires were forcing more people to leave their homes in northern Saskatchewan on Monday.

On Monday morning, evacuations began in Sandy Bay, close to the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border, due to smoke concerns, the Saskatchewan Environment Ministry said. About 210 residents described as "high risk" were being moved to Saskatoon.

On Sunday, about 170 people were forced to leave their homes in Stony Rapids, close to the Northwest Territories-Saskatchewan boundary.

They're staying in Prince Albert in dormitories at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences.

Ken Sayies, one of the last people to leave Stony Rapids on Sunday night, said the fire was only a few kilometres away when he left.

"You could see the flames in the distance," he said.

Most of the evacuees in Prince Albert are comfortable, although some aren't happy with the accommodations, he said. People are confident fire crews will keep their homes safe, he said.

"They'll save that town," Sayies said.

At Sandy Bay, several hundred kilometres southeast of Stony Rapids, children, the elderly, and people with breathing difficulties were being encouraged to leave.

Those who've left are being put up at the University of Saskatchewan and at Saskatoon hotels.

The fires in northern Saskatchewan are disrupting the power supply for Sandy Bay and two other northern communities.

SaskPower says some of its power poles have been burned.

The government utility is asking people to conserve energy in the communities of Deschambault Lake, Pelican Narrows, and Sandy Bay.

"Until we can see the situation clearing up and the forest fires being controlled and reinstalling poles, we're asking customers to reduce their consumption so that everybody gets electricity," SaskPower spokesman Larry Christie said.

People can still use power, but they should limit consumption to only what's necessary, Christie said.

There are 54 forest fires burning in the province, the Saskatchewan Environment Ministry said. So far this year, there have been 433 fires, twice as many as the year before.