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Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Climate
- Winnipeg Free Press
Snow Lake prepares as widlfire grows closer
Firefighters watered down sections of Snow Lake on Friday to protect the northern Manitoba town from an out-of-control blaze that was about two kilometres away around midday. Mayor Ron Scott, who is among Snow Lake's evacuees, said the wind direction was expected to shift to the northwest in the afternoon and push the fire closer to the community. 'It's definitely going to be a major concern in the next 12 to 24 hours,' he told the Free Press by phone from The Pas at about 1 p.m. 'Everyone is trying to prep the town as much as possible.' FACEBOOK A photo of the wildfire was posted to the Town of Snow Lake's Facebook page on Friday. Water bombers and bucket-equipped helicopters were attacking the fire. Sprinklers were set up to protect buildings in town. 'Keep the faith,' Scott said to about 1,000 residents who were forced to flee their homes July 10 for the second time this wildfire season. 'We've got an awesome team up there. We'll cross our fingers and hope for the best.' Snow Lake is about 690 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. The 22,790-hectare fire, caused by lightning, was detected July 1. Scott said the blaze, located west of Snow Lake, became very intense as it moved closer to town Thursday, despite the efforts of fire crews. 'With the winds, they had a major outbreak that crossed the lake proper, so it expanded quite a bit to the north and the east,' he said. The fire moved along a hydro corridor, resulting in a loss of power to the Lalor Mine site, the town said in a Facebook post. Power was restored in town, while the mine used a diesel-powered backup as of Friday morning, the post said. The town said fire crews were inspecting and watering down areas to prevent embers and hot spots from hitting the community. Rain and thunderstorms were possible. Scott said firefighters from municipal departments across Manitoba joined the effort. On Thursday, Kristin Hayward, assistant deputy minister of the Manitoba Wildfire Service, said Snow Lake was 'ready to be defended' if the fire moved closer to the town. Sprinklers and a quick response by fire crews helped limit damage at the Lalor Mine site, she said. The Town of Snow Lake said crews 'did a great job' to protect the mine for most of Thursday. A separate wildfire, also sparked by lightning, damaged one home and about half a dozen vacant houses in Leaf Rapids Wednesday night, when it became very intense Wednesday night. Fire crews had to temporarily retreat to safety. The community had no power or satellite internet service as of Friday morning, the Town of Leaf Rapids said in a social-media post. 'Starlink is currently not operating. This makes it very difficult to obtain information,' the post said. More than 300 residents of Leaf Rapids, about 975 km northwest of Winnipeg, were forced to leave July 8, while several fires burned in the area. Wednesdays Sent weekly from the heart of Turtle Island, an exploration of Indigenous voices, perspectives and experiences. The wildfire service's online map displayed 121 active wildfires Friday afternoon, including 22 that were out of control. All of Nopiming Provincial Park in eastern Manitoba opened to permanent residents, cottagers and commercial operators as of Friday, even though a wildfire continues to smoulder in the region. While Bird Lake campground is open, all other campgrounds will remain closed for the rest of the season, the province said. Backcountry campsites at Shoe Lake, and all water routes and hiking trails remain closed. Chris KitchingReporter Chris Kitching is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He began his newspaper career in 2001, with stops in Winnipeg, Toronto and London, England, along the way. After returning to Winnipeg, he joined the Free Press in 2021, and now covers a little bit of everything for the newspaper. Read more about Chris. Every piece of reporting Chris produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Global News
5 days ago
- Climate
- Global News
‘Keep the faith': Snow Lake residents evacuated for 2nd time in weeks due to wildfires
The mayor of a town in northern Manitoba that has been evacuated for a second time due to encroaching wildfires says it's been tough on the emotions and mental well-being of the community. Ron Scott, mayor of Snow Lake, told Global Winnipeg that it has been frustrating for the town of just over 1,000 people, located more than 680 kilometres north of Winnipeg, is frustrated — especially after its residents thought they were out of the woods mere weeks ago. 'That (first) fire was coming at us very quickly from the northwest, and the weather changed and it stalled,' Scott said. 'We thought, 'OK, we're safe, we can bring everybody back' … and then about two and a half weeks later, we're back at it again.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The current blaze, he said, is once again on Snow Lake's doorstep, and residents are concerned about it spreading into the community. Story continues below advertisement 'It really depends on the winds. We've got drought conditions, very low humidity, so a lot will depend on the winds and what nature throws at us. 'I encourage everyone to keep the faith — we've got an absolutely amazing crew of professional and volunteer firefighters, from a number of communities, in Snow Lake.' As of Friday morning, Scott said, fire crews had been able to hold the blaze off around the perimeter of a nearby mineral mine, but it remains about two kilometres from the town itself. The province remains under a state of emergency, and as of Thursday afternoon, officials said Manitoba was combating 124 active fires, bringing this year's total to 333 — well above the average of 252 for this time of year.
Global News
11-07-2025
- Climate
- Global News
Evacuees arrive in Winnipeg as wildfires force thousands out, bring smoke advisories
Evacuees continued to arrive in Winnipeg by the busload Friday as a renewed round of wildfires put thousands out of their homes – some for a second time – while thick smoke shrouded much of Manitoba. More than 3,000 residents were being airlifted out of Garden Hill First Nation, 480 kilometres north of Winnipeg, ahead of out-of-control fires. Misty Harper said she left Garden Hill with her five children and husband Thursday morning. They spent up to nine hours at an airport before they got on a smaller plane to Winnipeg. 'All the kids were getting tired and moody. Everybody was getting hungry, so it was really stressful,' she said about the journey to a Winnipeg recreation centre that is housing wildfire evacuees. She said Friday at around noon local time that all of her children except her one-year-old were still sleeping on cots. 'It's been rough,' she said. Story continues below advertisement She said she was still waiting for more information on whether hotel rooms were available for her family to stay in until it's safe for them to return home. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Manitoba is under a provincewide state of emergency as wildfires continue to rage, forcing even more evacuations out of northern communities. The government declared the order Thursday, for the second time this year, and with the latest round of fires and evacuations, the province reported more than one million hectares burned — more than 10 times the average over the last 20 years. In total, about 12,600 people are out of their homes in Manitoba. The government gave notice that it intends to use Winnipeg's major convention centre to house evacuees. The military stepped in Wednesday evening with a large Hercules transport plane to fly people out of Garden Hill as fires approached. It's a fly-in community not accessible by road. Snow Lake, a town 600 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, also issued a mandatory evacuation order for its 1,000 residents. The town's Mayor Ron Scott says he was planning to leave early Friday afternoon. 'Everyone that needs to be out is gone now,' he said. He said a wildfire was about six kilometres away from the town's doorsteps as of Friday morning. 'It's a bit of a guessing game right now.' Story continues below advertisement Environment Canada has issued air quality warnings and advisories for much of the province, including Winnipeg. Some people, including seniors and those with heart and lung issues, are at greater risk due to air pollution. In Saskatchewan, crews worked frantically Friday to save buildings in the evacuated village of Beauval, 340 kilometres north of Saskatoon. The emergency operations centre reported the canteen at the recreation grounds had been levelled. The fires also cut road access to the community of Patuanak, which is north of Beauval and home to about 700 residents. High priority cases, including seniors and young children and those with medical issues were being airlifted out.
CTV News
11-07-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
‘A frustrating, stressful time': Snow Lake mayor on wildfires
Watch Snow Lake Mayor Ron Scott speaks on the ongoing wildfires that has causes a province-wide state of emergency to be issued in Manitoba.
CTV News
11-07-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Snow Lake under evacuation again
Winnipeg Watch Mayor Ron Scott shares how the town is handling its second evacuation as wildfires rage, and a new state of emergency is declared.
