Northern First Nations call for firefighting equipment to protect communities as they wrap up evacuations

CBC

03-06-2025

First Nations in northern Manitoba are asking for more equipment as they continue battling wildfires that helped trigger a provincewide state of emergency last week.
People in Pukatawagan Cree Nation resorted to fighting the fire with hoses "no bigger than a garden hose," Chief Gordie Bear said at a news conference Tuesday morning.
"We have root fire, we have fire hot spots coming out of some places two, three days later because we got no water," Bear said. "If we had water to [douse] these little hot flames out, we'd catch up to the fire."
The fire in Pukatawagan — also known as Mathias Colomb Cree Nation — has been active since May 27 and was reported at 10,000 hectares in the Monday fire bulletin.
As of Monday evening, the community was working to fight the out-of-control flames with only two fire trucks, three MARK-3 fire pumps and about 2,000 feet of hose, Bear said.
"Years ago … we had shovels, we had pickaxes, we had Pulaskis. We don't have any of that," he said, "absolutely nothing from the Department of Natural Resources for fire suppression. Again, we say we have nothing but hose for our gardens, rakes for the lawns — nothing to fight fires with."
Fifty pumps, 1,500 1.5-inch hoses and 500 sprinklers were moved into Manitoba on Monday, according to rough estimates in the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre's latest daily fire situation report.
South of Pukatawagan, Pimicikamak Cree Nation Chief David Monias said his community is working with only one fire truck as it looks to protect local property with a wildfire "by our doorstep."
"For a community of 10,000 people, that's ridiculous.… We're fighting even just to get water bombers," Monias said.
"We have a state of emergency provincewide, and we're still fighting for resources when they should be coming readily."
The wildfire near Pimicikamak — also known as Cross Lake — was about 3,300 hectares in size as of the latest bulletin. Monias said Pimicikamak was working to get the last members out of the community on Tuesday.
Military evacuation flight out of the wildfire zone
15 hours ago
Duration 5:15
As out-of-control wildfires threaten communities in northern Manitoba, The National's Adrienne Arsenault travels with the Canadian military on a critical evacuation flight out of Pukatawagan.
Pukatawagan has evacuated everyone but about 50 essential workers, Chief Bear said. Emergency co-ordinator Tobi Bighetty said 1,350 people were relocated, with only a few still remaining in The Pas.
Bighetty said besides those who drove themselves, 240 evacuees were sent south on Via Rail, 600 were bussed out and the remainder were flown out on Hercules and King Air planes.
Pukatawagan is about 700 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg as the crow flies. Pimicikamak is about 500 kilometres north of the Manitoba capital.