Wildfires in northern Manitoba continue to burn out of control

Several wildfires are raging across northern Manitoba right now, one is rapidly growing just north of The Pas, and has forced hundreds of residents from their homes, and the a need for additional support from wildfire crews in B.C.  

According to the province, the first fire began on May 3rd, exploding in size in just days. What began as a 100 hectare fire, now sits at over 20,000 hectares and continues to burn out of control while threatening rural communities.

“There’s often a time before things really green up that we look at heat events as more dangerous for dry events and increasing that risk,” said Christy Climenhaga, a scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Almost 300 residents from the R-M of Kelsey and another 90 from Clearwater Lake were evacuated last week as wildfires approached homes and critical infrastructure.

While some evacuation orders have been partially lifted,  local officials warn that conditions remain volatile.

42 members of the B.C. Wildfire Service arrived on Monday to assist for up to 14 days, unless conditions in British Columbia deteriorate.

Manitoba Hydro reported that over 220 customers west of The Pas experienced power outages over the weekend due to damaged poles and downed lines. Crews are working to restore electricity, but warn that it all depends on wildfire activity.

Environment Canada has issued a special air quality statement for The Pas and surrounding areas. Smoke from wildfires in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan has significantly reduced air quality, posing health risks to vulnerable groups, including seniors, children, and those with respiratory conditions.

“Not a lot of confidence in what we will see in the next few months, a slightly drier than normal note for Manitoba, but again, confidence is low, and we aren’t seeing a lot of consensus in what we will see,” said Climenhaga.