Manitoba evacuates hundreds more as wildfires rage in Western Canada

Globe and Mail

a day ago

Hundreds of new evacuations were ordered Saturday in Manitoba as raging wildfires in Western Canada have already forced thousands of people to leave their homes.
Residents of Cranberry Portage in the rural municipality of Kelsey, Man., close to the Saskatchewan border, were ordered to head toward Winnipeg, where more than 17,000 evacuees from other areas in the province are already being housed in arenas and soccer fields converted into shelters.
Both Manitoba and Saskatchewan declared provincewide states of emergency earlier this week.
Saskatchewan declares state of emergency as wildfires force evacuations in western and central Canada
Lori Forbes, co-ordinator for the Kelsey area, where more than 430 people live, said a large fire has knocked down many hydro lines. She urged residents to pack kits and drive toward safety by Saturday afternoon, as gas and other supplies in the region, 600 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, are running out.
She urged residents to stay in safer zones with friends and family if possible. 'Power may be out in the Cranberry Portage area for multiple days,' she wrote on social media.
A spokesperson for Manitoba Hydro said it was hard to determine when power will be restored in Cranberry Portage. 'It's still an area of active wildfires, so we can't safely access the area,' said Peter Chura in a statement.
More than 180 wildfires were burning across Canada on Saturday, with dozens spanning from northwestern Ontario through to large regions of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, along with northern areas in Alberta and British Columbia. At least 90 of those are considered out of control and six new fires have started since Friday.
The situation this week has been so severe that Manitoba was forced to call upon the Canadian Armed Forces to rescue residents from several communities. The province is contending with at least 25 active wildfires, with 106 in total this year. Before this week, the 20-year average for the region was 78 annual fires.
Near Cranberry Portage, in Flin Flon, Man., more than 5,000 residents have left the mining city, with only firefighters and a few officials staying behind. Many patients have been transferred to Saskatchewan-area hospitals, while most of the evacuees are now staying in Winnipeg.
Officials worry the wind in the area may shift in the wrong direction over the weekend, bringing the out-of-control flames right into Flin Flon, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said late Friday.
'Please pray for rain,' he said.
Wildfires force thousands to flee homes in Western Canada
At least five more planes, including two military aircraft, are expected to transport evacuees from Pimicikamak Cree Nation in Pukatawagan, Man., on Saturday, said Chief David Monias. Wildfires have left that community's nearest airport non-operational, forcing residents to rely on the few roads that can lead them to a ferry toward Norway House Cree Nation, about 800 kilometres north of Winnipeg, where they are departing on flights.
'This is the most unstable and unpredictable situation I have ever been in,' Mr. Monias said in an interview Saturday. 'The smoke here is so thick, and conditions are so bad, we're actually having trouble even with the planes.'
People from two more areas in Manitoba that were ordered to evacuate Friday – around Bakers Narrows in the north and Bissett in the east – began to arrive Saturday in the province's reception centres. Others in the northern region - Pimicikamak Cree Nation, Cross Lake, Norway House and Mathias Colomb First Nation in Pukatawagan - are also being evacuated.
The province, with the support of Red Cross, opened a handful of large evacuation shelters in Winnipeg this week. As of Saturday, however, it is now opening spaces in other areas as well, including Winkler and Brandon.
In Saskatchewan, 16 fires were actively burning Saturday, seven of which were uncontained. The province has recorded 211 wildfires this year – well over its five-year annual average of 128 and the 169 fires recorded this time last year.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has ordered evacuations for the communities around Pelican Narrows, Hall Lake, Brabant Lake, Canoe Lake, Lower Fishing Lake, Piprell Lake, East Trout Lake, Little Bear Lake, Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation and Whiteswan Bay. Residents of other communities have also been told to be ready to flee at a moment's notice this weekend.
In northern Ontario, roughly 400 people from Webequie First Nation were being transported Saturday to Barrie, Ont., as the province faced 14 active wildfires, three of which were newly discovered Friday.
Warnings about extreme smoke in the air have been issued in most of Alberta this week. There were at least 53 active wildfires as of Saturday morning, with 29 deemed out of control. Evacuations in the province are taking place near Chipewyan Lake, Red Earth Creek, Loon Lake, Peerless Lake and Trout Lake.
B.C. grappled with at least 63 wildfires, with more than half out of control – mostly in the northeast. Rural communities were being evacuated in the Peace River Regional District, where the fire quickly quadrupled in size within a single day this week.