Manitoba remains under a state of emergency. However, travel and fire restrictions were eased in our province this morning.
Kristin Hayward is Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for the Manitoba Wildfire Service (MWS). She says Manitoba is at a moderate to high overall fire danger today. Hayward says there are sections of high fire danger across some of the forested areas. She adds a few pockets have low to moderate fire danger where precipitation has brought moisture levels up.
"We do anticipate some lightning starts due to recent and forecasted thunderstorms," she adds.
As of this morning at 8 am, Burn Areas 1-5 and 8-22 are at Level 2, which includes many provincial parks across Manitoba, such as Whiteshell, Grand Beach, Hecla/Grindstone, Duck Mountain, Clearwater Lake, and Paint Lake. This means:
- Camping is restricted to developed campgrounds.
- Campfires are permitted only between the hours of 8 pm and 8 am.
- The use of charcoal briquettes is permitted only between the hours of 8 pm and 8 am.
- Gas appliances are permitted anytime (such as propane barbeques, fire bowls, and stoves).
- Hiking trails are open. However, closures remain in place on some trails, including the Mantario Trail in Whiteshell Provincial Park and the Kwasitchewan Trail at Pisew Falls Provincial Park.
- Closures remain in place for the backcountry Grass River Canoe Route in Grass River Provincial Park.
- The Caddy Lake Tunnel from Caddy Lake to South Cross is now open. The second Caddy Lake Tunnel beyond South Cross is closed and the Caddy Lake water route is closed to backcountry travel in Whiteshell Provincial Park.
- Motorized backcountry travel, including ATVs and other off-road vehicles, is prohibited unless under the authority of a travel permit.
- All watercraft (canoes, kayaks, boats) are restricted to developed front-country lakes only (road accessible), and landing and launching is restricted to developed shorelines only. No travel or portaging to backcountry lakes is permitted. Shore launches are prohibited.
Also Thursday morning at 8 am, travel and fire restrictions were lifted at the following provincial parks:
Asessippi, Beaudry, Birds Hill, Camp Morton, Duff Roblin, Grand Valley, Hnausa Beach, Hyland, Lockport, Lundar Beach, Manipogo, Margaret Bruce, Memorial, Netley Creek, Norris Lake, Oak Lake, Pembina Valley, Portage Spillway, Rainbow Beach, River Road, Rivers, Seton, Spruce Woods, St. Ambroise Beach, St. Malo, St. Norbert, Stephenfield, Trappist Monastery, Turtle Mountain, Upper Fort Garry, Watchorn, William Lake, Winnipeg Beach, Yellow Quill.
According to Hayward, there are 21 fires burning in Manitoba as of today. Seven of those are considered out of control. Hayward notes these seven are priority fires near communities. So far this year there have been 124 fires. The 20-year average as of June 18 is 118 fires. The total area burned in the province is now more than 902,000 hectares.
Lisa Naylor is Transportation and Infrastructure Minister. She says this year's wildfire season has resulted in one of the largest evacuations in our province's history. Naylor says there have been more than 22,000 evacuees. As of this afternoon, no evacuees are still staying in congregate shelters in Winnipeg.
"We have moved fast, and we have made good progress," she says. "More and more Manitobans are heading home, and repatriation planning is underway for other communities."
Christine Stevens is Assistant Deputy Minister for the Manitoba Emergency Management Organization. She says there are currently 21 states of local emergency across Manitoba, with 14 communities currently evacuated due to the wildfire threat.
Hayward says it is difficult to know whether or not Manitoba has now made it through the worst of the fire season. However, she notes the long-term forecasts show prolonged periods of warmer than normal weather, with below-normal precipitation.
"We're coming into a season where we see a lot of thunderstorms and a lot of lightning passing through," she says. "So, things could get worse from here, I won't sugarcoat it, but hopefully they don't."
Hayward says Manitoba continues to be fortunate to receive assistance from outside the province. Having said that, she notes there has been a lot of movement in the last few days, including the recent departure of 60 personnel from Quebec. Manitoba currently has 297 out-of-province personnel, which includes assistance from the United States. She says we have firefighters from Newfoundland and Parks Canada as well as 228 personnel from United States federal agencies. This includes firefighters and incident management team, overhead staff, and 39 state agency forest firefighters, predominantly from Minnesota, but also Wisconsin and Michigan.
Fires of note include:
East region:
- Fire EA061 remains out of control at approximately 218,700 ha. Provincial Road (PR) 315 is open with access to Bird Lake, Booster Lake, Flanders Lake, and Davidson Lake. A closure and mandatory evacuation order continues for the rest of Nopiming Provincial Park and the entire areas of Wallace Lake, South Atikaki, and Manigotagan River provincial parks. PR 314 remains closed through Nopiming Provincial Park. The two-hour evacuation notice has been lifted for the Rural Municipality of Alexander from Tall Timber Road to Hill Drive.
- Fire EA063, located on the Ontario border near Ingolf, is being held at approximately 5,400 ha. A closure order continues for the Mantario Wilderness Zone in Whiteshell Provincial Park.
West region:
- Fire WE017, located near Sherridon and the city of Flin Flon, is approximately 370,780 ha and is out of control. Mandatory evacuation orders remain in place for Big Island, Schist Lake, Little Athapapuskow Cottage Area, Whitefish, White Lake (northwest region), Bakers Narrows Provincial Park, and the city of Flin Flon.
- Fire WE023, located eight kilometres (km) from Wanless and south of Cranberry Portage, is approximately 4,920 ha and is under control.
- Fire WE025, located near Mathias Colomb Cree Nation (Pukatawagan), is approximately 55,140 ha and is being monitored. The fire around Mathias Colomb Cree Nation is contained but a mandatory evacuation order continues for Mathias Colomb Cree Nation (Pukatawagan).
- Fire WE027, located eight km from the town of Grand Rapids and Misipawistik Cree Nation, is approximately 12,000 ha and is being held.
- Fire WE028, located 10 km from Bakers Narrows Provincial Park, is approximately 7,200 ha and is out of control.
North region:
- Fire NO002, located near the town of Lynn Lake, is approximately 71,860 ha and is out of control. A mandatory evacuation order continues for the town of Lynn Lake and Marcel Colomb First Nation (Black Sturgeon).
- Fire NO005, located near Pimicikamak Cree Nation (Cross Lake), the Incorporated Community of Cross Lake, Jenpeg Generating Station, and Whiskey Jack Landing, is approximately 64,860 ha and is out of control.
- Fire NO010, located near Tataskweyak Cree Nation (Split Lake), is approximately 21,560 ha and is out of control.