Bearskin Lake First Nation declares state of emergency due to flooding threat

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Bearskin Lake First Nation declared a state of emergency Sunday due to a flooding threat, according to a statement from Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN).

An ice jam along the Severn River, downstream from the remote community in northern Ontario, is causing water to rise rapidly, NAN Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler said in a statement.

"Community members are cut off from the airport and vital infrastructure including the water treatment plant has been compromised. Without immediate action the ice jam will keep building and the water will keep rising," the statement read.

"We are in constant communication with the community and provincial and federal ministries and have requested that a co-ordinated response be mobilized to attempt to clear the ice jam and prepare for a possible evacuation."

Fiddler also shared a video on Facebook from Bearskin Lake showing the fast-moving water that's threatening the community, which is only accessible by air and a seasonal winter road.