About 150 wildfire evacuees from the La Ronge area are calling a soccer centre in Saskatoon home for the time being.

Freedom Charles made the five-hour journey by bus Sunday night, with her partner George Ross and their 18-month-old twins Arianna and Anthony.

"There was three big buses that left from La Ronge," Charles said.

Her children were among those age two and under who got evacuated. Elderly people, and those with particular health concerns were also sent south, away from the smoke.

It's a very difficult circumstance for people when they've had to leave their homes on very, very short notice. - Joanne McClenaghan, Canadian Red Cross

Charles and her family are staying at the Henk Ruys Soccer Centre, hosted by the Canadian Red Cross, which is supplying food and a place to sleep.

When CBC spoke to her Monday afternoon, Charles had no idea how soon her family could go home again.

"Last I heard it was getting worse in La Ronge, with the smoke," she said.

"People are having as much fun as they can possibly have under such a circumstance," said Joanne McClenaghan, volunteer shelter manager with the Red Cross. "It's a very difficult circumstance for people when they've had to leave their homes on very, very short notice. So you can imagine that there's some tension there as well with the parents."

More than half of evacuees sent to Saskatoon

As of Monday morning, roughly 700 northerners had been evacuated from their communities. Of the 400 sent to Saskatoon, 250 were being put up in hotels in Saskatoon, or were staying with friends in the city.

About 175 evacuees from Sikachu, Clam Crossing and Hall Lake were staying mostly in hotel rooms in Prince Albert. An evacuation centre was being set up Monday at Saskatchewan Polytechnic's campus in Prince Albert.

A spokesperson for the province's Ministry of Social Services said accommodation in other facilities and hotels around the province can be activated, if necessary.

Meanwhile, 140 people from Clearwater First Nation near La Loche were staying with friends and family. Social Services was helping with the cost of groceries.