Shannon Dueck

Wildfire smoke has posed a very high health risk to Southern Manitoba residents at various points this month.

That is according to the Air Quality Health Index or AQHI. According to the Manitoba Lung Association, the AQHI is based on the combined levels of three different air pollutants. Those three are ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particulate matter. 

The Manitoba Wildfire Service (MWS) says our province remains at a moderate to high fire danger level. Human activity, including arson, is contributing significantly to current wildfire conditions. As a result, critical firefighting resources are being diverted to respond to deliberately set fires, often in or near communities.

The Manitoba Wildfire Service (MWS) says the province remains at a moderate to high wildfire danger level, with human activity, including arson, playing a major role in fuelling current fire conditions.

Officials say deliberately set fires are forcing crews to redirect resources that would otherwise be used to manage natural wildfire outbreaks, many of which are burning close to communities.

The Manitoba Wildfire Service (MWS) says our province remains at a moderate to high fire danger level. Human activity, including arson, is contributing significantly to current wildfire conditions. As a result, critical firefighting resources are being diverted to respond to deliberately set fires, often in or near communities.

Intense thunderstorms rolled through Southern Manitoba Thursday night. 

Rose Carlsen is a meteorologist with Environment Canada. She says our hot and humid day resulted in some unstable conditions in the environment. 

The mercury Thursday afternoon climbed above 30 degrees in many parts, but with the high humidity, the humidex was close to 40.

"Then we had a cold front sweeping through in the afternoon and evening, sparking off a bunch of thunderstorms as it moved through," says Carlsen.

Two pilots are dead following a tragic plane crash this morning south of Steinbach.

At 8:45 am, Steinbach RCMP were notified of the crash involving two planes. It was a mid-air collision in the Rural Municipality of Hanover.

RCMP, along with the Hanover Fire Department and emergency medical services, attended and located the wreckage of two small, single-engine aircraft.

The pilots were pronounced dead on scene. There were no passengers aboard.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada was notified. 

No further details are being released. 

Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) is reporting that more and more young people are ending up in emergency departments following a crash with an off-road vehicle (ORV).

Most of Manitoba remains at a low fire danger, with the exception of the northwest area, which is at a high fire danger. 

Manitoba has lifted its provincewide state of emergency. 

Premier Wab Kinew announced that as of Monday at noon, the state of emergency under the Emergency Measures Act has been rescinded as many Manitobans have started to make their way home. Kinew says though we are still in a very serious situation, battling the wildfires is something that can be done through "normal government powers." He adds it is important to have a light touch when it comes to something as serious as declaring a state of emergency. 

Manitoba Wildfire Service (MWS) is easing some fire and travel restrictions beginning Thursday morning.

According to our province, recent rainfall and a full green-up have helped reduce the fire risk in some parts of Manitoba. Other areas remain at high risk, with significant fire suppression operations continuing and restrictions still in place.

Effective Thursday at 8 am, areas 1 to 5 and areas 8 to 22 will be at Level 2 (area 1 includes everything from Provincial Road 302 to the Ontario border and south of the Trans Canada Highway). This means: