Officials in Manitoba say crews are making good progress on a number of wildfires in our province.
According to Manitoba Wildfire Service (MWS), the fire at Ingolf is being held. It was first detected on May 15th, and its cause remains under investigation. To date, it has burned 5,410 hectares.
The fire at Bird River was first detected on May 12th. It was caused naturally and continues to burn out of control. It has burned 218,709 hectares.
Kristin Hayward is Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for the MWS. She says there has been a bit of rain in recent days; however amounts vary, which means that fire activity will continue to pick up in the coming days as areas dry out.
Hayward stresses that even though some communities are making the decision to return home, these are still very large fires that have not been extinguished.
"They are not out and won't be for some time," she says. "We are cautiously optimistic, but of course the situation can change as weather and conditions change."
According to Hayward, there are 18 wildfires currently burning in our province, with seven of them still out of control. She notes a couple of new fires have started over the last 24 hours but are not a concern at this time. Hayward says a band of lightning moved through the province over the last 24 hours, and officials anticipate there could be new starts as a result. However, she notes they are prepared and are repositioning aircraft and resources accordingly.
Trails and backcountry water routes in all provincial parks remain closed. Hayward explains that is a decision that includes the likes of MWS, parks, crown lands, and municipalities. She notes those groups meet together to talk about potential risks.
"Those restrictions are reviewed regularly, and we continue to review them regularly based on recent precipitation," she says. "And we'll be making any necessary changes to ensure that we're balanced, seeing peoples' desire to enjoy the outdoors with any risks to the fire situation in the province."
Christine Stevens is Assistant Deputy Minister for the Manitoba Emergency Management Organization. She says there are 24 states of local emergency in Manitoba. Stevens adds 25 communities across our province remain evacuated. However, there have been no new evacuations over the last 24 hours.
"As of (Monday) morning, there are approximately 22,000 evacuees who have registered with the Red Cross," she adds.
Stevens says they are currently assessing the impacts and in the coming days and weeks will be making some recommendations in terms of whether or not a Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) program should be in place.
According to Hayward, the trend in Manitoba is that fire season starts earlier and lasts longer. She notes the added challenge this year is that officials were not expecting the broad scale of activity, with fires burning in all regions. Hayward says they continue to investigate the cause of each fire in Manitoba.
Meanwhile, the State of Emergency in Manitoba will end on June 26th, unless it is extended. Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor says the state of emergency gives officials important powers and the ability to open a congregate shelter. It also provides the ability for First Nations safety officers to work with the province, outside of First Nations. It also allows the wildfire department to access out-of-province firefighters. She notes they are working towards being in a position to lift the State of Emergency.