Wildfire contained near Flin Flon, Man.; Saskatchewan hamlet ordered to evacuate

Yahoo

01-06-2025

Fire crews in northern Manitoba have so far been able to contain an encroaching wildfire that forced thousands from their homes, while more residents in Saskatchewan have been told to leave due to a fast-moving blaze.
The Saskatchewan government issued an evacuation alert Sunday morning for the dozens of residents that live in the small northern hamlet of Timber Bay.
"The wildfire is fast-moving, and individuals in the northern hamlet of Timber Bay must start evacuation immediately," the alert said.
Residents were told to leave the community on their own and head south to a hotel in Regina, about 484 kilometres away, to receive further support.
Thousands have been affected by wildfires in Saskatchewan prompted by hot, dry weather that have allowed some fires to grow and threaten communities.
Approximately 80 people from Timber Bay are the latest to be forced from their homes.
In Manitoba, some 17,000 Manitobans have had to leave their homes due to fires.
Officials in Flin Flon, Man., where a nearby out-of-control wildfire crews have been trying to keep a nearby blaze at bay, said the fire burning near the mining city has been contained to outside its perimeter highway, and that as of Saturday evening there have been no structure losses.
Manitoba issued an evacuation order for Bakers Narrows Provincial Park, just south of Flin Flon, over the weekend due to the blaze in the area.
Local officials said there were some property and structure losses in the Bakers Narrows area, but did not have total numbers on how many properties were affected.
Officials said in a Facebook post Sunday morning that electricity has been restored in parts of the city and that work continues to get all areas back online.
"We're incredibly grateful for all of the support that departments from across Manitoba have provided us. They've done an outstanding job protecting our homes and the town we love," the post said.
"Our utmost gratitude goes out to all of those who have taken time away from their homes and families to put themselves in harm's way."
Evacuees are being offered food and shelter in several communities.
Roughly 600 residents of Cranberry Portage in northwestern Manitoba were placed under a mandatory evacuation order because fire had knocked out power to the community — a situation expected to last for days.
The Rural Municipality of Kelsey, which the community is apart of, said on Sunday afternoon that they are awaiting an update from Manitoba Hydro on the situation. The mandatory evacuation remains in place as fuel and other services remain limited, a Facebook post said.
Indigenous leaders in Manitoba have said that hotel rooms in the cities where evacuees are arriving are full, and have called for politicians to issue a directive to hotel owners to give evacuees priority.
Higher courts in Manitoba and Saskatchewan were scheduled to meet in Winnipeg this week for a joint education session, but both courts decided to cancel the meeting given the pressing need to make hotel spaces available for evacuees.
"The courts are mindful of the serious and devastating impact these fires are having on communities in both provinces and of the institutional need to provide support to the efforts already underway," a joint statement released on Sunday said.
Elsewhere across the Prairies, some communities have seen some relief from the dry, hot weather conditions.
Several forest management areas in northern Alberta reported that cooler weather, with some rain, was subduing fire activity and allowing firefighting crews to make better headway against multiple blazes burning throughout the region.
The Edith Lake wildfire that's been threatening the evacuated community of Swan Hills, Alta., was still listed as out-of-control late Saturday, although the provincial wildfire agency said cooler temperatures were helping.
"While the wildfire has grown in size, its closest point to the community of Swan Hills has not changed at this time. Conditions on the wildfire are actively changing and the evacuation order remains in place," an update on Saturday night stated.
It also noted that high-volume water and sprinkler systems have also been installed in the town of 1,300.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2025.
The Canadian Press