Black Hawk helicopters aren't fighting Kingston fire at night — here's why
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CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Costs of Manitoba's extreme wildfire season start to take shape, evacuations ongoing
The northern Manitoba town of Snow Lake has been given the go-ahead to return home later this week after being displaced due to wildfires. Trees burned by wildfires in northern Manitoba are shown during a helicopter tour in the surrounding area of Flin Flon, Man. on Thursday, June 12, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mike Deal-Pool The Manitoba government has signed a $30-million contract with the Canadian Red Cross for evacuee support and other services related to this year's wildfires. The recently disclosed contract is worth more than half the province's total annual budget for emergency services and provides a first glimpse into the cost of the Manitoba's worst wildfire season in at least 30 years. 'We know that we need to continue providing supports to Manitobans who are facing evacuations and are continuing to need support,' Finance Minister Adrien Sala said in an interview Tuesday. It's too early to estimate a total cost, Sala said, but an update is expected next month when the province is set to release its quarterly fiscal update. The Red Cross has been providing shelter and other aid for many of the people who had to flee their homes this year. The agency has managed large evacuee centres that have at times included a large indoor soccer complex and a section of the main convention centre in Winnipeg. Another recently disclosed contract shows the province signed a deal with hotel chain Canad Inns for just over $673,000. Government officials have called this the worst fire season since daily electronic records began in the mid-1990s. At its peak, some 21,000 Manitobans were out of their communities, with many put up in shelters and hotels. Almost 20,000 square kilometres of land has burned to date -- more than double the second-worst season in 2013. Many evacuees have since returned home, but the province remains under a state of emergency and some communities, including Lynn Lake, Leaf Rapids and Mathias Colomb Cree Nation, are still under mandatory evacuation orders. In recent years, the NDP government has budgeted $50 million for emergencies -- a broad category that also includes costs related to floods and other natural disasters. Premier Wab Kinew recently said he expects this year's total to be above $50 million. The former Progressive Conservative government had budgeted $100 million annually and sometimes ended up spending much more. Some $266 million was spent in the 2022-23 fiscal year, when spring flooding and summer forest fires kept emergency workers busy. Provincial governments can also get some expenses covered through the federal government's Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements, or DFAA, program. But the Manitoba government says such aid can be limited. Each fire is normally counted separately and, in the past, fire damage covered by the program has often not met the minimum threshold for federal cost-sharing, says a slide deck prepared in June by the provincial emergency measures organization. 'Due to the extraordinary nature of this event, Manitoba plans to work with Canada to combine some of the fire events into the same DFAA event, recognizing it will be very difficult to separate the cumulative impacts on communities,' the slide deck reads. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 19, 2025.
CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
Town of Sunnyside has water again, but residents say better supply is needed to avoid another ‘panic'
The Town of Sunnyside declared a state of emergency when the water supply ran dry, and residents had to rig up homemade systems to try to get some water in their homes. The CBC's Heather Gillis reports.
CBC
4 hours ago
- CBC
Coast guard pilot was fighting N.L. wildfires — and then fled from one himself
Chris Rodway was flying over the Kingston wildfire in Conception Bay North last week when he was ordered to evacuate from his Three Island Pond home in Paradise. "It was a bit of a rush to get out," Rodway told CBC News. "I was on the Kingston fire when they called the evacuation, so I switched out with another pilot." The evacuation order for the Three Island Pond neighbourhood of Paradise was put in place last week after the Paddy's Pond wildfire threatened the area. Rodway was in the middle of rescuing ground crews on the Kingston fire's western edge. It was a challenging day for firefighters due to weather conditions in Conception Bay North. "They couldn't hold it back," he said. "You think whichever way the wind blows the fire is going to go, but in this case with that particular fire, it's going up, it's going left, right and east and west. It's crazy, all over the place," Rodway said. WATCH | He was fighting a wildfire from above — as his community was evacuated below: He was fighting the wildfire from above — as his community was evacuated below 11 hours ago Helicopter pilot Chris Rodway was working on the fire in Conception Bay North when he had to make an unscheduled landing — his own community was being evacuated. Rodway raced home to grab valuables, and enough socks and underwear to keep flying. He said he managed to get to his house with enough time to gather some belongings. "Enough pairs of underwear and socks to keep me going for a week or so. You don't always get that." The next day, Rodway was back above the flames — with a new understanding of how the people below were feeling. Coast Guard work moves inland Rodway said it's been a different summer at work. "We're Coast Guard, so we're usually on the coast, and not inland where fires usually are," he said. The federal agency is working more with the provincial government to aid in wildfire suppression. "We have been doing mostly crew over fires, keeping an eye on their crews on the ground." With three wildfires continuing to burn out of control on the island, he said everyone is on edge. "Every little puff of smoke, someone's calling you." But Rodway said the community support has been incredible. "It certainly almost puts shivers on your back ... it's really nice to see."
