As wildfires continue to burn across eastern Manitoba, the human impact is hitting close to home. With evacuation orders, sleepless nights, and fears of losing everything, residents are finding solace in the support of their communities.
Steinbach not threatened, but feeling the impact
While Steinbach is not directly threatened by the wildfires, the community is still deeply affected by the devastation in surrounding areas. Steinbach Mayor Earl Funk says the urge to help is strong, as many residents know people who have been forced from their homes or who are working on the front lines.
Funk says he’s grateful for the recent rain, but with dry, windy conditions in the forecast, he’s holding his breath. “We’ve had our warm weather. We’ve had hot. A couple of rainy days is not going to hurt us,” he says. “We’re not made out of sugar. We’re not going to melt. And we need all the weather in order for us to survive.”
Volunteer firefighters going above and beyond
While the rain brought a brief reprieve, emergency responders continue to work around the clock to protect lives and property. Volunteer firefighters, locally and across the province, are spending hours, day after day, battling the flames, pushing themselves to the brink.
“Volunteer firefighters are the best people in the world,” says Funk. “When their alarms go off, there’s no keeping them back. They go and they go until they fall down. Nowhere else do you see such great commitment.”
The emotional toll is heavy for those displaced by the fires, and for those who care about them. Funk, who owns Earl’s Meat Market, shares a story of a local truck driver named Willie, who was evacuated from his home north of Lac du Bonnet on Tuesday night. The fire was just a mile away when he and his family fled.
“You could see it in his face. He said, ‘I don’t know if I have a house to go to later on,’” says Funk. “We just told him, man, you’re going to be in our thoughts. We’re going to pray for you.”
For Funk, the wildfires are a reminder of how interconnected the community is. “These fires affect us because they affect people that we work with every day and that we care for,” he says. “We have to do our part, whatever that looks like. Holding these people up that are at the risk of losing their homes, we have to lift them up.”
As the fires rage on, residents are finding ways to support each other — whether it’s checking in on neighbours, donating supplies, or simply sharing a few words of comfort.