Wildfires have forced thousands to flee communities across parts of Canada — see photos of the 'challenging' emergency
Wildfires have been burning out of control in parts of Canada, threatening several communities and forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes. The conditions are so severe that Manitoba and Saskatchewan have declared states of emergency.
According to Environment Canada's data on May 30, "extreme" conditions — the highest level — are also being seen in parts of Alberta, northeastern British Columbia, the southern parts of the territories and western Ontario. The poor conditions are also posing a threat to northern states in the U.S.; North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and states around the Great Lakes are expected to get the highest smoke concentrations over the next few days.
"As we head into the weekend, pray for rain," Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said at a Friday press conference. "We haven't seen rain in the forecast yet. That could really help — sustained rainfall, in particular. But in the absence of that, the past few days have been very challenging, and that may continue."
When Kinew ordered a provincewide state of emergency on Wednesday, telling reporters this is "the largest evacuation Manitoba will have seen in most people's living memory." The press conference came after roughly 17,000 residents were evacuated from the affected areas.
That includes the entire town of Flin Flon, an area of around 5,000 residents. "The only folks remaining on the ground are firefighters and folks in the office of the fire commissioner and RCMP, who are there to battle the blaze," Kinew said Friday. "We do expect some very, very challenging conditions in Flin Flon and in the surrounding community."
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe declared a state of emergency Thursday: "It's a very serious situation that we're faced with," he said at a Prince Albert press conference, adding the province also needs to see some rain. Thousands have already evacuated their homes in the province.
Below, see some of the most eye-widening photos from the incident that's ravaging parts of Western and Central Canada.
Smoke from Canadian wildfires blankets much of central North America. pic.twitter.com/bybI8lmYvH
— CIRA (@CIRA_CSU) May 30, 2025
Wildfires in Manitoba, Canada have triggered the evacuation of over 17,000 people. These aerial shots are unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/6H3Y5TBSxj
— Met4Cast. (@Met4CastUK) May 29, 2025
smoke from Canadian wildfires pic.twitter.com/XOsuUM8swL
— ian (@bigseawaterite) May 30, 2025
The Canada wildfire smoke has arrived. Grass got tough fast. pic.twitter.com/SurgQ9hikP
— Maria Cox (@MariaCoxFarm) May 31, 2025
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Man Wins $3.6 Million in Lottery. Now, He Claims His Girlfriend Took the Money and 'Ghosted' Him
A man is suing his ex, claiming that she stole his lottery winnings and then 'ghosted' him Lawrence Campbell said he purchased a winning lottery ticket worth $3.6 million in January 2024 and asked his then-girlfriend to deposit the money in her account, because he didn't have one He now alleges that she broke up with him and stopped returning his calls after taking the moneyA man says his ex-girlfriend took his lottery winnings and then 'ghosted' him — and now he's suing her. Lawrence Campbell of Winnipeg, Canada, claims he purchased a winning lottery ticket worth $3.6 million in January of 2024, according to a complaint filed in Manitoba's Court of King's Bench on May 14, per Canadian news outlet CTV News and Manitoba Court public records. Campbell claims that after discovering he had a winning ticket, he and his then-girlfriend, Krystal Ann McKay, went to a local convenience store to claim the money. He alleges that he and McKay were in a "loyal, committed and promising relationship at the time,' per the complaint obtained by CTV News. According to the documents, a representative from the Western Canada Lottery Corporation told Campbell that he would be ineligible to claim his winnings as he didn't have a valid government-issued ID — and suggested that McKay redeem the winnings instead, per the news outlet. Campbell alleges in the complaint that he had McKay deposit the money into her bank account, as he did not have an active account himself at the time. However, per CTV News, the complaint alleges that McKay did not return to the hotel room she and Campbell shared several days after depositing the winnings into her account. Campbell also claims that McKay 'ghosted him,' and refused to take his calls or answer his messages, blocked him on social media and took out a protection order against him. Campbell also alleges that McKay told him that she wanted to break up and be with a 'new guy,' per the outlet. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In addition to suing McKay, Campbell also filed a complaint against Western Canada Lottery Corporation and the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, claiming that the situation resulted in bad advice and faulty protocols from both companies. 'This case is about systemic karma vs. the system itself,' Chad Panting, Campbell's lawyer, said in an e-mail to CTV News. 'A situation created or certainly enabled by the state-owned Lottery Corporations administering lotto claims in Manitoba.' Meanwhile, McKay's attorney, Conor Williamson, told the outlet that his client plans to dispute the allegations against her and will be filing a statement of defense. PEOPLE reached out to attorneys for both Campbell and McKay, as well as the Western Canada Lottery Company and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, for comment on Sunday, June 1, but did not receive immediate responses. Video of the couple claiming the money was released by CTV News in 2024. In the footage, Campbell and McKay can be seen holding a giant check for 5 million Canadian dollars with McKay's name on it. In the video, McKay shared that she planned to use the money to 'take care of the family.' McKay is currently under court order not to purchase or gift any property, money or motor vehicles, or make any investments while the case is underway, per public court records. A hearing for the case is scheduled for June 13. Read the original article on People
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Ontario inks trade deals with Saskatchewan and Alberta ahead of meeting with Carney
SASKATOON - Alberta and Saskatchewan signed agreements with Ontario on Sunday to remove trade barriers ahead of a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney to hash out a plan they hope will supercharge the economy. The memorandum of understanding between Saskatchewan and Ontario sees both provinces mutually recognize each other's goods, workers and investment, while a statement from the Alberta government says its MOU with Ontario aims to improve the free flow of goods and services between the two provinces. The Alberta statement also says the agreement will simplify requirements for regulated professions such as skilled trades, making it easier for professionals to work across provincial boundaries. Both deals, which were signed in Saskatoon ahead of a first ministers meeting in the city Monday, pledge to advance measures that would see willing provinces allow the sale of alcohol directly to consumers. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the deals help grow provincial economies as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens more tariffs on Canadian steel. 'We're going to band together,' Ford said when talking about the agreement with Saskatchewan. 'We've never been attacked by any leader in the world like we have by President Trump. He doesn't give two hoots about Canada.' '(But) he's going to have a rude awakening. We're going to fight like we've never fought before.' It's Ford's latest deals with provinces to open trade, measures he says could unlock $200 billion in economic gains. Alberta said its agreement with Ontario also welcomes the possibility of Ontario joining the New West Partnership Trade Agreement, which has worked to streamline regulations and standards across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. 'It's time to stop letting outdated rules hold us back and show Canadians what real economic leadership looks like,' Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said in a news release Sunday. The premiers are meeting Monday with Carney to discuss major nation-building projects that could boost the economy. Ford said the prime minister needs to remove regulations to make it easier to build projects. That includes scrapping the Impact Assessment Act, he said. 'It all depends on the speed right now (in getting projects built),' Ford said. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said he's hoping for a port-to-port corridor in Western Canada to ship more goods out of northern B.C. and Hudson Bay in northern Manitoba. 'It's the largest single opportunity that I've seen in my lifetime,' Moe said. 'All we need to do is come together, and then stand by side by side and defend the opportunities we have from a trade perspective. Defend them like hell.' Building more oil and gas pipelines must be part of Canada's future, Moe added. 'If we truly are going to become the strongest economy in the G7 nations, if we truly are going to become a global energy superpower, it means we need to open up the opportunity for all of our industries,' Moe said. 'I think (Carney) is aware that there's a feeling of alienation in certain areas of the nation.' Both Alberta and Saskatchewan have long had grievances with former prime minister Justin Trudeau, who they say made it difficult for the industry to build energy projects. Smith has said more pipelines are the only way to get more products to market efficiently and without one, there could be a national unity crisis. She has called on Carney to scrap the oil and gas emissions cap and clean electricity regulations, repeal industrial carbon pricing and overhaul regulations. But getting a pipeline through Quebec might be difficult. The province had opposed the former Energy East oil pipeline from Alberta and rejected the GNL Quebec project in Saguenay in 2021. However, Quebec Premier François Legault said last month he's open to some projects. Ford said all provinces must be on the same page for any pipeline to move forward. 'I hope (Legault) is going to bring a pipeline through,' he said. 'Last time I checked, Quebecers drive cars, they need gas.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2025.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Northern lights could be visible tonight if hazy skies clear up
COLUMBUS (WCMH) — A powerful solar eruption from the sun's surface early on June 1 sent charged particles streaming toward Earth at more than four million miles per hour, which could provide a view of the northern lights across portions of the United States and Canada Sunday night, and possibly Monday night. The geomagnetic storm reached the level of G4 Sunday morning on a scale of 1 (minor) to 5 (extreme), which brings a higher likelihood of seeing the northern lights farther south than usual, in places such as northern California, Illinois, and the northern Mid-Atlantic region. The best time to look for the shimmering display of color is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. near the northern horizon if you reside in a more rural area with darker skies away from city lights. However, smoke from Canadian wildfires may preclude the view in some areas of the country. A coronal mass ejection (CME) sends electrically charged particles (ions) and magnetic material streaming into space, generating currents in the magnetic field. When the solar wind collides with Earth's magnetic field (magnetosphere), the interaction with gases (oxygen, nitrogen) in the upper atmosphere produces streaks or curtains of light, known as the aurora borealis in the Northern Hemisphere. The most common color arising from collisions between solar particles (atoms) and oxygen molecules is green, because the red veils occur higher up in the atmosphere and are harder to view. Nitrogen interactions at lower altitudes trigger blue curtains of light. Last year on May 10, a G4 storm triggered spectacular views of the northern lights in parts of central Ohio. Another view of the northern lights occurred on Oct. 10, 2024, but was much more limited in our area. Severe geomagnetic storms can affect high-frequency communications, disrupting GPS systems and low-frequency satellite navigation signals. In extreme events, the CME voltage can impact the electric energy or power grid, resulting in regional blackouts. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
