‘Please don't come out': Manitoba mayor asking people to stay away as fires burn
Mayor Jack Brisco shares how his community is coping with the wildfire threat and what support evacuees can expect.
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CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Wet weather to provide little respite for northern Alberta wildfires
A view of a smoke plume coming off of the Caribou Lake Wildfire, near Winefred Lake, on June 3, 2025 (Photo: Alberta Wildfire) While much of central Alberta is getting a good dose of rain in the coming days, the wet weather won't make it up north where many wildfires are still blazing out of control. Melissa Story with Alberta Wildfire said the northwest part of the province likely won't see much rain. 'Northern parts of the province will likely see higher fire behaviour and increased fire danger,' said Story, adding that crews are working to contain a number of out-of-control wildfires in the area. The Red Earth Creek wildfire complex north of Slave Lake hasn't seen any rain, said Story. Red Earth Creek wildfire complex One of several fires that make up the Red Earth Creek Creek complex can be seen in a photo from June 2, 2025. (Photo: Alberta Wildfire) (iPhone) Luckily, the Kiskatinaw River wildfire on the Alberta-B.C. border is expected to see 20 to 40 millimetres of precipitation. Story said the fire, which has burned over 26,000 hectares, hasn't grown significantly in the last couple of days and is seeing less fire behaviour. 'We're making some really great progress on it,' said Story. Crews from Eastern Canada, the U.S. and Australia are still in Alberta helping to fight the 51 wildfires. On track for a worse wildfire season than 2024 This year, Alberta has seen 551 wildfires that have burned over 650,000 hectares There were 425 fires around this time last year that had burned just 30,000 hectares. Trees scorched by wildfire stand in a burn area near Fox Creek, Alberta, on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Trees scorched by wildfire stand in a burn area near Fox Creek, Alberta, on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) (Noah Berger/AP) 'We are well above where we were last year,' said Story. 'When we compare to 2023, which was the worst wildfire year we saw on record, we're at about half of the area burned than we were at that time.' Some communities still under evacuation Several wildfires that make up the Red Earth Creek wildfire complex near Slave Lake have prevented residents in five communities from returning home. Evacuation orders for Chipewyan Lake, Peerless and Trout Lake, Red Earth Creek and Loon River First Nation are still in place. Chipewyan Lake has suffered significant structural damage in the community. Chipewyan Lake June 2 fire Aerial photos show the Bigstone Cree Nation health centre destroyed by fire in Chipewyan Lake on June 2, 2025. (Photo: Facebook/Bigstone Cree Nation) The County of Grande Prairie downgraded an evacuation order Thursday as rainfall continues to stall the growth of the Kiskatinaw River wildfire. An evacuation order for those north of Township Road 710 to 740, east of the Alberta-B.C. border to Range Road 132 is still in place. Evacuation alerts remain for others in the area. Those under an alert should be prepared to leave within 30 minutes' notice. For all active evacuation orders and emergency alerts, visit the Alberta Emergency Alert website. Other wildfires of note Highway 25 is closed between Hawk Hills and Keg River while the Slims Creek wildfire burns 30 kilometres north of Manning. Speed reductions are in place due to decreased visibility with smoke conditions. The Twin Lakes Provincial Recreation Area near the Slims Creek wildfire remains closed. Officials say the fire has grown considerably over the last day. Airtankers and helicopters are dumping water on the Blue Sky wildfire about 22 kilometres north of Marten Beach. Wildfire near Edson Airtankers work on a wildfire near Edson, Alta., in a Friday, June 9, 2023, handout photo. A town in northwestern Alberta is being evacuated due to an out-of-control wildfire. An evacuation order has been issued for the town of Edson and parts of Yellowhead County. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Government of Alberta Fire Service The Tulip Lake wildfire is burning 15 kilometres northeast of Fort Fitzgerald and 28 kilometres east of Fort Smith. The fire saw minimal growth yesterday due to favourable conditions but with warm weather hitting the area over the next several days, active fire behaviour is expected. Night vision helicopters worked on the Sousa Creek wildfire near High Level last night. The fire is estimated to be over 42,000 hectares in size. About 14 millimetres of rain significantly decreased activity with the Caribou Lake wildfire. The fire is still out of control and has reached over 69,000 hectares in size. Fire bans in the Forest Protection Area are still in place. Check with your municipal government for local fire bans. Information on active wildfires can be found on the Government of Alberta website.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Crews continue to gain ground in Saskatchewan wildfires battle with evacuees repatriating
Highway 106 is closed as wildfires burn near Smeaton, Sask. on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) and Premier Scott Moe said that the province is in a much stronger position Friday in its fight against wildfires than in recent days. Many evacuees have been repatriated back to their communities or are in the process, and fire growth has been minimal thanks to recent rainfall, allowing crews to aggressively fight back flames. 'Much of that is due to the effort and the work of our firefighters on the ground, whether they be wildland firefighters or whether they be local and municipal firefighters and volunteers from across the province,' Moe said, thanking crews for their hard work. Moe added that work has also been done by SaskTel and SaskPower to restore communication and power services to many communities threatened by the recent fires. He also acknowledged that despite a positive past couple of days, much more will need to be done, including supporting those that have lost homes and values. 'The work doesn't end with people returning to their homes. The work will go on for weeks and literally go on for months as we see far too many homes that have been lost,' Moe said. Families that have lost homes will see the province working with them closely to provide support, Moe added. That includes work to distribute $500 to all evacuees 18 years and older. 'We're working on all of those fronts so that we don't leave anyone out, but also that we don't slow down the effort to get this into family's hands as soon as possible,' Moe said. According to Moe, more than half of some 15,000 total evacuees have returned to their communities. The SPSA said that approximately 10,300 people have returned or will be shortly, with many who self-evacuated also doing the same. However, approximately 400 values have been damaged, according to the SPSA, with efforts continuing to determine exactly what was impacted The SPSA said on Friday afternoon that 19 wildfires remain burning in Saskatchewan. Five are still considered not contained. SPSA president Marlo Pritchard said that five communities are also still under a mandatory evacuation. 'Those are Creighton, Denare Beach, East Trout Lake, Whelan Bay, as well as the P1 and P2s in Cumberland House,' Pritchard said. Pritchard said they also recognize that some people returning to their communities will face both difficult and unique challenges and encouraged people to use the province's website to access mental health supports. A backlog of people calling the province for help has also been addressed, with Pritchard saying evacuees that call the province for assistance will now be taken care of immediately or within a day. Regarding 30 wildfires the province has determined were intentionally set, Pritchard said work continues to gather evidence that can be supplied to police. 'We ask for public assistance if they know anything of any of those intentional acts that were conducted. If you know anything, please call Crime Stoppers or your local police jurisdiction.' So far, RCMP have laid two arson charges in connection with the Ditch02 fire near Weyakwin that forced multiple evacuations. Pritchard and Government Relations Minister Eric Schmalz also said that the ATV and UTV ban will be lifted at 5 p.m. on Friday, but the current provincial fire ban will remain in effect. Looking ahead, Pritchard also said Friday's weather forecast is positive, with cloudy and cooler temperatures expected along with the possibility of more rainfall.
Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Squamish, B.C., reports progress on wildfire fight, while rain expected in northeast
There's optimism from firefighters and local authorities as crews battle blazes in opposite corners of British Columbia heading into the weekend. The District of Squamish is reporting minimal overnight growth in the Dryden Creek fire that triggered a local state of emergency this week, while the BC Wildfire Service expects rain to help suppress the Pocket Knife Creek wildfire in the northeast. Smoke map: Squamish wildfire harms air quality in Whistler as warnings in place in B.C, Alta., Y.T. That fire is the biggest in the province at more than 1,500 square kilometres, and the wildfire service says it has grown significantly since merging with another fire on Sunday. BC Wildfire Service information officer Julia Caranci says in a video update on social media on Thursday that anticipated rain could aid in suppression efforts this weekend. She says she's hopeful the rain will help, although the fire has a large perimeter and it remains to be seen how much the rain affects fire behaviour. A situational report posted to the service website on Friday said rain was forecasted for most of northern B.C. this weekend before easing Sunday, and it warns of the possibility of slides caused by sudden rainfall on eroded areas. The report noted a 'warming trend' was expected to return to the province on Sunday, which could then stretch into next week and increase fire behaviour. Wildfire evacuees from remote north faced with hard decisions about their pets The blaze looming over Squamish, north of Vancouver, has grown to nearly 60 hectares in size, with the district reporting that crews made 'strong progress' on the southwestern flanks, while aviation crews focused on bucketing the northern edge. The district says in a posting to social media late Thursday that the fire spread on the northern side from 'steep, inoperable terrain into more accessible areas, allowing crews to engage more directly in suppression efforts.' The Squamish fire is among nearly 100 blazes actively burning across the province. There are three wildfires of note, the Pocket Knife Creek, the Kiskatinaw River fire and the Summit Lake fire, all in the northeast where most of the province's fire activity is concentrated.
