More crews, firefighting vehicles headed to Cross Lake
A cavalry of firefighters and equipment is being sent to the Cross Lake area to help battle a wildfire that is threatening two neighbouring communities in northern Manitoba.
Pimicikamak Cree Nation Chief David Monias said Thursday that 30 to 35 structural firefighters, six pumpers, tankers and command teams were being mobilized.
'(This) morning, I received direct communication from Premier Wab Kinew, who shared the full scope of the manpower, equipment and determination being deployed to protect our homeland, our community, our homes and the infrastructure we've built together with love and sacrifice,' Monias wrote in a Facebook post.
The fire near Pimicikamak Cree Nation as seen in late May. (Submitted)
He said the additional crews will join 30 firefighters from Cross Lake and Jenpeg, 40 from the province and 30 from the United States.
The Manitoba government is scheduled to provide an update on wildfires at 12:45 p.m. Thursday. Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures Minister Ian Bushie Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor are among the scheduled speakers.
Two fires are burning near Pimicikamak and the incorporated community of Cross Lake. One of the fires had jumped to a nearby island as of Wednesday.
Earlier this week, Monias and other First Nations leaders called on the federal and provincial government to send more equipment and resources to northern First Nations threatened by fire, including Pimicikamak and Mathias Colomb (Pukatawagan).
'This is no ordinary response. This is a coalition of nations, communities and protectors coming together in unity, shoulder to shoulder, to confront the threat that has uprooted lives, chased families from their homes, and loomed over our lands for more than two weeks,' Monias wrote Thursday.
'We are not alone.'
The U.S. is sending about 100 firefighters and 25 managerial or support staff to Manitoba. They were expected to arrive Thursday and head to their assignments Friday.
Pimicikamak and Cross Lake were previously evacuated. Monias has said six residents remain in the area after refusing to leave.
The Manitoba Wildfire Service said 27 fires were burning as of Wednesday.
The vast majority of Manitoba's roughly 17,000 wildfire evacuees are from northern communities, including Flin Flon and several First Nations. The Winnipeg Police Service, alongside an RCMP representative and Garrison Settee — the grand chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak — will hold a news conference on 'WPS response to fire evacuee safety' at 1 p.m.
Additional firefighting crews are being sent to Flin Flon, where a fire was burning on the perimeter of the evacuated city.
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In a Facebook post, the City of Flin Flon said 260 'dedicated and experienced' personnel are holding back the fire.
Neither Flin Flon nor neighbouring Creighton, Sask., have lost structures so far, the Thursday post stated.
'The fire has moved further into Manitoba, to the southeast of Flin Flon and Creighton,' the post said. 'Asset protection is being implemented in the Channing area and the southern parts of Flin Flon.'
Crews from Parks Canada and the U.S. are headed to the Rural Municipality of Kelsey. Parks Canada staff will set up a command post at Grace Lake in The Pas, while American firefighters will be extra boots on the ground, said Lori Forbes, the RM's emergency co-ordinator.
chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca
Chris KitchingReporter
Chris Kitching is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He began his newspaper career in 2001, with stops in Winnipeg, Toronto and London, England, along the way. After returning to Winnipeg, he joined the Free Press in 2021, and now covers a little bit of everything for the newspaper. Read more about Chris.
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