Portage cottage owners are watching nervously from afar as wildfires continue to threaten areas near Lac du Bonnet.
Kristine Hannah, who owns a four-season cabin in Poplar Bay Provincial Park, says her property is currently under evacuation notice. The area is located approximately 32 kilometres northeast of Lac du Bonnet and is home to only about 33 cabins.
Cabin purchased just one year ago
Hannah and her family bought the property on May 15, 2024.
She mentions that her last visit to the cabin was about two weeks ago. Although there were no flames near her cabin as of Wednesday morning, she says the threat feels close and very real.
“I looked on our video cameras this morning...There's no fires in our area as of right now, but there's lots of haze and lots of heavy smoke that is happening from the Bird River, which is not too far away from us. There's multiple fires that are happening in the area,” says Hannah.
Fires burning near Bird River and Wendigo Beach
According to Hannah, the nearest active fires include the Bird River fire and another near Wendigo Beach. Bird River is roughly a seven-minute drive from the Hannah family cabin.
Access to the area has been cut off, with Provincial Road 315 closed and emergency crews preventing entry.
“We saw on cameras yesterday the fire department was at our place last evening, knocking on doors," explained Hannah. "People were to be evacuated out of the area. You can't go back there."
Darryl Tessier of High Bluff, a longtime cottage owner at Bird Lake, says the fire is currently about 15 kilometres west of his property.
He describes the situation as frightening and fast-moving, with strong concern about shifting winds and whether enough rain will arrive to help firefighters.
Tessier expresses gratitude to everyone responding to the crisis.
“Big shout out to all fire fighters, waterbomber pilots and emergency people. We appreciate you all,” he says, adding thanks to neighbouring provinces for their support. “We forget how many good people we have in this province and in other provinces and we are so thankful.”
Province issues state of local emergency
On May 13, the Manitoba government declared a state of local emergency (SOLE) for several provincial parks due to escalating wildfire conditions. The SOLE applies to Nopiming, Wallace Lake, South Atikaki, and Manigotagan River provincial parks, with full evacuations ordered for multiple lake regions including Bird Lake—an area close to Hannah’s cabin. All public and private areas within the affected parks are now closed to the public, including campsites, trails, beaches, and cottage subdivisions.
Closures are also in effect in Whiteshell Provincial Park due to an out-of-control wildfire along the Ontario boundary.
Click here for the latest wildfire information.
RCMP respond to protect evacuated areas
To support evacuations and secure properties, the Manitoba RCMP has deployed additional officers to the Lac du Bonnet area. This includes a 12-member Search and Rescue Unit and officers from Traffic Services and nearby detachments. Roadblocks have been set up along Highway 313, restricting access to emergency personnel only.
Staff Sergeant Cory Meyers of the Lac du Bonnet detachment urges the public to follow safety instructions, adding that officers are actively patrolling evacuated communities and will not tolerate criminal activity.
Community support and personal impact
The wildfires have prompted a strong response from both local officials and neighbours. Hannah, who has family with cabins in the area, says the fires are affecting multiple households she knows.
Despite the hardship, she says the community around Lac du Bonnet has shown incredible support.
"We are praying for moisture and praying for rain as well. All the local residents, volunteer firefighters, emergency medical services have been excellent and there's been lots of community support that I've been seeing on social media posts as well from residents," commented Hannah. "I think everyone is very blessed for that."
Environment Canada is calling for rain in the area over the next few days.
Dream turns into reality
While the current fire threat came without warning, Hannah admits that it’s always been a concern—especially in a forested, parkland setting.
“It's always a risk when you're in a in a provincial park or area of forest. There's always something on my mind. I actually had a dream about a forest fire 2 weeks ago, which is kind of ominous,” she says.
Fishing, family and the love of nature
Kristine Hannah explains that the decision to buy a cabin in Poplar Bay was motivated by her family's love of fishing, the desire for outdoor recreation, and their appreciation for nature's tranquility.
“I have a husband and son who love to fish, and they went out and bought a boat one day,” she mentions, explaining that their boat purchase led to the decision to buy the property, which also has a boathouse.
The cabin's location further solidified the decision.
“We’ve always been out near Clear Lake and other areas, but it’s just a beautiful, pristine area,” she adds, noting that they have enjoyed the cabin year-round for its peaceful and serene atmosphere.
Hoping for the best
Some cabins in nearby areas have already been lost.
“I have seen some videos of cabins along the Wendigo Beach and Grausdin Point area. There's some videos of cabins that have been total losses,” remarks Hannah.
For now, she and her family remain safe at home, but their hearts are still at the lake.
“Our thoughts are with all the residents and all the firefighters and all the emergency personnel that are out there and we're just grateful for everything they're doing,” she remarked.