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Environment Canada and Manitoba Health issued a sweeping air quality warning early Friday as thick wildfire smoke engulfs much of southern and eastern Manitoba, significantly reducing visibility and threatening public health.
Communities from Brandon and Winnipeg to Victoria Beach and Turtle Mountain are affected, with warnings also continuing in Little Grand Rapids and Atikaki Provincial Park. Authorities say smoke is either currently impairing air quality or is expected to do so shortly, and have urged residents to stay indoors and avoid strenuous outdoor activity.
The warning comes amid a catastrophic wildfire season. More than one million hectares have already burned across Manitoba — more than ten times the average of the past two decades — and over 12,000 people have been forced to flee their homes. The province declared a state of emergency Thursday, its second this year, as fast-moving fires triggered new evacuations across the north.
In Garden Hill First Nation, more than 3,000 residents were flown out on military aircraft late Wednesday as fires closed in. The remote community, 500 kilometres north of Winnipeg and unreachable by road, had little time to act before smoke and flames arrived. Meanwhile, the town of Snow Lake, roughly 600 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, ordered all 1,000 of its residents to evacuate.
In a sign of the crisis’s scope, the province has announced plans to convert Winnipeg’s major convention centre into emergency shelter space.
Health officials warn that wildfire smoke poses serious risks to vulnerable groups, including seniors, young children, pregnant women, and people with respiratory conditions. But even healthy individuals are not immune. In heavy smoke conditions, “everyone’s health is at risk,” the advisory states.
Symptoms can include irritated eyes and throat, headaches, and a mild cough, while more severe cases may involve chest pain or difficulty breathing. Officials urge anyone experiencing serious symptoms to seek medical help immediately.
With more than 50 fires still active in neighbouring Saskatchewan and smoke spreading across the Prairie provinces, there’s little relief in sight.
The public is advised to monitor updates, reduce exposure to outdoor air, and check in on those who may be especially affected. Authorities stress that keeping indoor air clean, staying cool during concurrent heat events, and wearing a well-fitted respirator outdoors, if necessary, are key precautions.
For now, Manitobans are being told to stay put, stay inside, and stay safe.