mbwildfires2025

An evacuation order is now in effect for the townsite of Badgar in the Rural Municipality of Piney as crews continue to battle an ongoing wildfire dubbed EA057. 

This latest evacuation order was issued at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. The municipality asks residents leaving Badger to travel south on the 203 towards Piney, then head to the evacuee reception site at the Woodridge Community Club.

A spokesperson for Manitoba Wildfire Service says we need a good soaking rain to change the current situation in our province.

Kristin Hayward is Assistant Deputy Minister, responsible for the Wildfire Service. She says the weather this week has created very challenging conditions. 

"We have hot, hot weather right now," says Hayward. "We have dry conditions, we have had some very windy days, and we expect that to continue today as well as into tomorrow."

The Woodridge Community Centre has been operating as the designated reception site for residents who have been ordered to evacuate in the RM of Piney as a result of ongoing wildfires. 

The municipality declared a state of emergency at 6 p.m. on Monday due to a fire that started between Carrick and Badger on Saturday. 

Southland Church has shared a fire in the Bird River area has gotten closer to the bible camp it runs.

Tuesday afternoon on social media, the church urged community members to continue praying.

"The Fire is approximately 1km away from the camp and is moving in quickly. Your continued prayer for the camp is much need," it says in a Facebook post.

UPDATE on the wildfire in the RM of Piney

RM of Piney Emergency Operation Centre and Reeve, Wayne Anderson, released the following information at 2:30 pm, Tuesday, May 13. 

Anderson confirmed that the RM will remain in a State of Local Emergency until conditions warrant lifting.

That PR 203 from Badger to Carrick will remain closed until further notice. 

Evacuation orders have now been issued to residents living in the townsite of St. Labre. Anderson notes that crews are notifying residents.

A portion of land south of the Rural Municipality (RM) of La Broquerie continues to burn, but is under control, after fire crews battled the blaze for eight hours. 

After putting out a smaller fire on farmland Monday afternoon, chief of the La Broquerie Fire Department, JC Normandeau, says at 4:45 p.m., crews were called to a second between roads 25N and 27N, east of PR 302. 

An evacuation order has been issued for Nopiming Provincial Park as wildfire conditions continue to escalate. Our province has also declared a state of local emergency for Nopiming, Wallace Lake, South Atikaki, and Manigotagan River provincial parks. These parks will remain closed to the public until conditions improve.

The following areas are affected by the evacuation order:

Some cottage owners at West Hawk Lake have been advised to be prepared for a possible evacuation. This is the result of an active wildfire near Ingolf, Ontario. 

According to Whiteshell Cottagers Association, the advisory was issued by Manitoba Parks. It says that due to the evolving nature of this wildfire, cottagers on the north side of West Hawk Lake are being advised to take precautionary steps and prepare for a possible evacuation.

This is not an evacuation order, but residents should have a plan in place, including:

UPDATE May 13, 8:30am 

The office of the RM of Piney reports that the fire that started between Carrick/Badger has widened overnight and is now 1km east of Carrick. 

They also note that the smoke is very heavy along Whitemouth Lake Road, so we strongly advise no unnecessary travel along this road. 

Manitoba Wildfire Services will be taking their helicopter out this morning to assess the fire from the air. 

UPDATE May 12, 10:50pm

Bird River Bible Camp, run by Southland Church in Steinbach, has been evacuated due to a wildfire.

Teena Cole, a pastor at the church, says late this afternoon, the church got a message from camp staff notifying of the evacuation.

"The fires were, according to firefighters, three to four kilometers away at that time, and moving closer," she says.

An emergency evacuation notice in the Rural Municipality of Alexander, says all residents between Hill Road on PR 315 and the Bird River Bridge must evacuate immediately, including the bible camp.