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A rapidly growing wildfire near the Saskatchewan border in Northern Manitoba has prompted a mandatory evacuation order for the entire community of Flin Flon.
The wildfire, identified as Fire WE024, was first detected on Monday near the community of Creighton, Sask., and has since ballooned in size. As of Wednesday afternoon, the estimated area is 20,000 hectares and is now threatening the community.
In a public alert, the City of Flin Flon urged all individuals to leave as soon as possible in a calm and orderly manner. Residents and visitors have been instructed to leave by midnight tonight.
Those needing assistance or information are being directed to the Flin Flon Community Hall.
"This is a distressing situation," the City stated in a social media post on Wednesday afternoon, "but we urge everyone to proceed calmly and deliberately. It's critical to avoid traffic congestion or accidents that could delay others from getting out safely."
Residents with access to their own transportation are advised to evacuate using Provincial Road #10 south toward The Pas. Officials note that while visibility may be limited in some areas, the highway is currently safe to travel. Drivers are being warned not to use PR #39 toward Thompson due to other fires in Northern Manitoba.
The Northern Health Region posted on social media Wednesday afternoon, before the evacuation order came down, saying that it was working to "proactively relocate higher acuity patients out of the community of Flin Flon."
So far, winds have pushed the fire away from the community of Creighton.