Latest news with #Ingolf
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Arson a 'strong possibility' in cottage fire in Whiteshell, Manitoba RCMP say
There's a "very strong possibility" arson caused a fire that destroyed a cottage on the southern edge of Whiteshell Provincial Park, RCMP say. Police are investigating a fire in the Block 11 subdivision at Falcon Lake, RCMP said in a news release Wednesday. Officers received a report about the fire Tuesday at 8:50 p.m., the news release said. The local fire department and the Manitoba Wilfdfire Service extinguished the blaze. Police said the cause of the fire is still under investigation. Sgt. Paul Manaigre, media relations officer for the RCMP, said arson is possible, but investigators won't know for sure until experts examine the scene. The fire happened as firefighters continue efforts to control nearby wildfires in Lac du Bonnet, Nopiming Provincial Park and the Ingolf fire along the Ontario border. The fires forced the closure and evacuation of the Whiteshell last week. No injuries were reported in the cottage fire. Anyone with information is asked to call Falcon Lake RCMP at 204-349-2588 or submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers online or at 1-800-222-8477.
CBC
20-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
2021 report warned province of wildfire risks in Whiteshell
CBC Investigates | Kristin Annable, Caroline Barghout | CBC News | Posted: May 20, 2025 10:00 AM | Last Updated: Just now Report included 10 recommendations, implementation of which is 'ongoing,' says provincial spokesperson Caption: An out-of-control wildfire near Ingolf, Ont., is seen from Caddy Lake, in Whiteshell Provincial Park, on Wednesday, May 14. A report commissioned by the Manitoba government and completed in 2021 outlined what an out-of-control blaze in the park would look like. (Caroline Barghout/CBC) As wildfires forced the closure of Whiteshell Provincial Park last week, CBC has learned a 2021 report alerted the province to what an out-of-control blaze in the area would look like, warning such an event would lead to catastrophic loss of life and property. The report, which was commissioned by the Manitoba government, included 10 recommendations. Four years later, it appears none have been fully implemented, though the province says that work is "ongoing." "Not surprised," one longtime resident said when told about the report's trajectory. Shaun Harbottle has lived in the park for decades, and owns Crescent Beach Cottages and a general store in West Hawk Lake. "Very little gets done in the Whiteshell," he said. "Our last big burn was 2016, and they said they were going to fix it then and they didn't." Image | Shaun Harbottle Caption: Shaun Harbottle, who owns Crescent Beach Cottages and a general store in West Hawk Lake, says the Whiteshell region was promised help to mitigate fires after 2016, but that never happened. Smoke from the wildfire that began near Ingolf, Ont., can be seen in the distance behind him. (Caroline Barghout/CBC) Open Image in New Tab Harbottle is referring to the 5,800-hectare fire that hit northeast of Caddy Lake in May of that year, forcing some evacuations within Whiteshell Provincial Park. This year, the southeastern Manitoba park faced a threat after an out-of-control wildfire began along the provincial border, near Ingolf, Ont. That led the Manitoba government to make the unprecedented decision to evacuate the entire park and declare a local state of emergency on Thursday, ahead of the May long weekend, at which point that fire had grown to 27,000 hectares and crossed the Ontario border into Manitoba. Report highlights limited road access The 70-page April 2021 report, titled the Whiteshell Provincial Park Wildfire Management Strategy, was never publicly released. CBC obtained it through freedom of information laws. The report was a result of a request for proposals issued in October 2020 for the development of a strategy to "reduce public risk from catastrophic wildfire" in the park. It highlights a combination of factors that make the 2,800-square-kilometre park, located near the Ontario border, particularly vulnerable. Homes in the park are surrounded by one-lane roadways, dense treelines and numerous lakes, making it difficult to get out in the event of an emergency, according to the report. "Any road closures from either traffic accidents or wildfire may result in large-scale entrapment situations leading to catastrophic events, including significant loss of life if evacuees become stranded along transportation corridors," the report said. The park is home to about 3,500 cabins, along with businesses scattered throughout a vast area. Surrounding those businesses and cabins are highly flammable trees, located close to properties and sometimes far away from a body of water that would help slow a fire, according to the report. The report simulated wildfires in the park and along a 20-kilometre radius around it to determine the behaviour of a fire in the area. It found the communities of Falcon Lake and Rennie, along with the Pointe du Bois area, were at the highest risk because of their limited access to escape routes and, in the case of north Rennie, its distance from water. Harbottle's home and business are located near the southern shore of West Hawk Lake. "If a fire were to start on my property here, everybody on the east end wouldn't have a way out. If a fire starts at the top of the hill, I don't have a way out. So it is a problem, and … it needs to be looked at," he said. 10 recommendations Ten broad recommendations were made in the report, with the objective they were to be completed within five years. They included: Formalizing safety zones to be used by residents as a last resort if evacuation routes are unsafe to use. Sharing the report's results with local first responders and working with them to identify gaps in evacuation route planning. Completing an internal review to investigate creating alternative routes for evacuations. Using the report to discuss with government officials which roads in the park should be upgraded. Completing an evacuation simulation to understand the time required to evacuate an area. Completing an "exposure analysis" to help residents understand how to mitigate risks. Encouraging businesses and residents to implement FireSmart principles, such as clearing nearby trees and utilizing sprinklers. Conducting controlled burns in areas to control pests and vegetation. The Falcon Lake area, the Highway 44 corridor and Highway 312 were identified as the top areas to improve evacuation routes. A government spokesperson didn't offer details on what happened with the recommendations in the report, but said a number of factors have changed since it was published in 2021. Many of the recommendations in the report are "ongoing," and the current fire situation "will inform any future steps," the spokesperson said in a written statement Friday. Further details may be provided once the urgency of the current wildfire situation subsides, the spokesperson said. CBC asked Mike Flannigan, a wildfire scientist at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C., who was not involved in writing the 2021 Manitoba report, to review it. He said its recommendations were useful, and prepared with the type of situation that emerged last week in mind. The Whiteshell is a "flammable landscape," with lots of vegetation that would increase the intensity of a fire, he said. Building new escape routes in high-risk areas can be costly but is necessary, said Flannigan. "You have to build roads. And yeah, it's expensive and it fragments the landscape, but you need multiple escape routes," he said. "They are planning for events like we're seeing unfold in front of us this week."
CBC
20-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Whiteshell cottagers waiting to hear when provincial park return will be allowed
Whiteshell Provincial Park cottagers say they don't know when they'll be allowed to return to the area after an out-of-control wildfire forced them to evacuate the area nearly a week ago. The province issued an evacuation order on May 13, as the wildfire burning at the Ontario border, near Ingolf, continued to spread. The park is also in close proximity to the out-of-control Nopiming fire and the Lac du Bonnet fire, which is now being held, Manitoba's fire map shows. As of Monday evening, that fire had reached more than 31,000 hectares in size, according to the province of Ontario's fire map. It is still not under control, the map shows. There were 13 active fires across Manitoba as of Monday night, the province's most recent fire bulletin said. Manitoba closed the Whiteshell on May 15, asking all residents, cottagers, campers and visitors to leave by 1 p.m. that day. A state of local emergency will remain in place and the park will stay closed into this week, the province said. An exact return timeline is not known as of Monday at 9 p.m., but the province warned the closure is expected to remain in effect until fire conditions improve. "We're still out of the park and waiting for information as to when we'll return," Ken Pickering, president of the Whiteshell Cottagers Association, told CBC News on Monday. "When you're away from your home for that long … you start to want to get back. And there's a bit of uncertainty in how long this is going to take," Pickering said. But while he and other cottagers are anxious to return to their properties soon, Pickering said it's important to stay patient — and stay out of the park — as firefighters tackle the nearby blaze. "People are understanding that they want to return when it's safe and they want to make sure that the firefighting crews have the ability to do what they need to do without worrying about people in the area," Pickering said. "I think as long as everyone stays out of the park and lets the firefighters do their thing, and we'll wait for updates from both parks and wildfire services to see what [the] next steps are," he said. South of Whiteshell, on the holiday Monday, as the nearly 9,000-hectare fire there is now being contained.
CBC
15-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Whiteshell communities evacuated as Ingolf wildfire continues to grow
A number of communities and campgrounds in eastern Manitoba's Whiteshell region have been evacuated amid concerns about a wildfire in Ingolf, Ont., that has doubled in size in the last 24 hours to about 20,000 hectares and could spread across the border.
CBC
14-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Whiteshell Provincial Park closing due to extreme fire conditions
Whiteshell Provincial Park will close to the public on Thursday as firefighters work to control a wildfire that forced evacuations in the southeastern Manitoba area earlier this week. In a Wednesday news release, the province said access to the park will be restricted starting at 9 a.m. on Thursday, and continuing until at least May 21. The closure is expected to remain in effect until the extreme fire conditions improve. On Thursday morning, access will be restricted to cottage subdivisions and campgrounds, along with commercial, group and day use areas. Recreational areas including trails, beaches, backcountry areas, canoe routes and campsites will also be under the restricted access. All park users, including full-time residents and cottagers, must leave the park by 1 p.m. Thursday, the province said. It's asking full-time residents to register with Manitoba Parks staff at their nearest reception centre: Whiteshell Community Club, Rennie Community Club or Eastman Snopals Garage. Any permanent residents who can't register in person can call 204-340-6769. Cottagers and campers are not required to register. Anyone with reservations over this period, which includes the Victoria Day long weekend, will be contacted by the parks reservation service, the province said. Cottagers fled the area Tuesday after the province issued an evacuation order due to the out-of-control wildfire along the Ontario border, near Ingolf. As of Thursday afternoon, that fire had grown to more than 23,000 hectares, according to the province of Ontario's fire map. The province of Manitoba told CBC News Wednesday that Highway 1 remains open in the area. Previously announced closures remain in effect for Nopiming, Pinawa Dam, Poplar Bay, Wallace Lake, South Atikaki and Manigotagan River provincial parks due to local states of emergency, the province said. These parks will also remain closed until conditions improve.
