The Manitoba Wildfire Service, the Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC), Manitoba Emergency Management Organization (EMO) and the Manitoba Fire Service continue to respond to the two active fires in the area around Flin Flon and The Pas, but improvements in the weather and work by crews on the fire mean residents of affected communities will be allowed to return home on Sunday morning.
As of this afternoon, fire WE010 near Flin Flon remains approximately 37,000 hectares. The fireline closest to Cranberry Portage is under control. As a result, residents of Cranberry Portage, the cottage subdivisions of Sourdough Bay, Whitefish Lake, Twin Lakes and Schist Lake North have now been cleared to return to their homes as of 10 a.m., Sunday, May 19. Barricades will remain in place until that time. Provincial Trunk Highway (PTH) 10 and the Sherridon access road will also reopen to traffic and residents will be allowed to return to their homes at 10 a.m., Sunday, May 19. A small number of properties have been damaged by fire but impacted residents are being notified prior to the area reopening.
Significant resources continue suppression efforts on fire WE010 including six water bombers, seven helicopters, over 200 provincial personnel, 40 firefighters from Ontario, five from Parks Canada, 20 from New Brunswick arriving today and 21 from Quebec arriving this weekend.
Provincial Emergency Social Services will be available to residents and the reception centres at the Wescana Inn in The Pas and the Victoria Inn in Flin Flon will remain open this weekend.
Important information for evacuees returning to their homes is listed on the EMO website. For the province’s guide on wildfire evacuation re-entry, visit: www.gov.mb.ca/emo/pdfs/guide_to_wildfire_evacuation_re-entry.pdf. Evacuees should also review the wildfire evacuation checklist at:
www.gov.mb.ca/emo/pdfs/wildfire_evacuation_re-entry_checklist.pdf.
Smoke from the wildfire continues to impact communities in the area. Area residents are advised to take precautions to protect against harmful smoke inhalation including limiting outdoor activity, staying indoors with windows and doors closed, setting air conditioning units in homes and vehicles to recirculate to avoid drawing smoke indoors, and drinking plenty of water.
If you have been impacted by the wildfire situation in Manitoba and require further assistance, dial 211 or toll-free 1-855-275-1197, or for text-based help, use the chat at https://mb.211.ca/get-help-now/.
Fire WE011 near Wanless north of The Pas is approximately 2,785 hectares and approximately 2.5 km from the community of Wanless. Crews are working to protect the hydro line between The Pas and Cranberry Portage. The fire is approximately 2 km away from PTH 10; anyone travelling on PTH 10 may be impacted by poor visibility due to smoke.
Campgrounds in Bakers Narrows and Grass River provincial parks remain closed until at least May 27 including Bakers Narrows, Gyles, Iskwasum Landing and Reed Lake. Backcountry travel along the Grass River from Cranberry Portage to Reed Lake is prohibited. Karst Spring Self-guiding Trail is closed. For updates visit www.manitobaparks.com.
The Victoria Day long weekend is a popular time for many Manitobans to go camping, open summer cottages and spend time outdoors. Visitors heading to Manitoba Parks should check for the latest fire restrictions and remember to only make fires in approved fire pits. Everyone is reminded to carefully observe fire prevention measures. Always monitor campfires, do not burn in windy conditions and be sure to extinguish campfires completely before leaving by soaking the fire with water and dirt, stirring with a stick or shovel, soaking the fire again and repeating the process until the air above is cool to the touch.
Provincial burning permits are required for outdoor fires set within the burn permit area from April 1 to Nov. 15 annually. To check for municipal burning restrictions, visit https://gov.mb.ca/wildfire/burn_conditions.html. Burn permit holders are reminded to check weather conditions, have adequate suppression equipment and ensure proper fuel breaks are in place before burning. Never leave an outdoor fire unattended and always extinguish it before leaving and exercise caution when in or near forested areas.
For ongoing updates on wildfires and burn permits in Manitoba, follow the Manitoba government’s X (formerly known as Twitter) account at https://twitter.com/MBGovNews. Further details, updates, restrictions and other important wildfire information is available at https://gov.mb.ca/wildfire/. To report a wildfire, call 911 or the TIP line (toll-free) at 1-800-782-0076.