Manitoba Wildfire Service, the Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC), Manitoba Emergency Management Organization (EMO), and the Manitoba Fire Service are battling a number of wildfires in the areas around Flin Flon and The Pas. Extreme fire behaviour, driven by drought conditions and high winds, has exacerbated the situation.
Fire WE010, located near Flin Flon, has grown to approximately 37,000 hectares and is impacting several cottage subdivisions including Sourdough Bay, Whitefish Lake, Twin Lakes, Schist Lake North, and Cranberry Portage. The fire is now just 1.5 kilometres away from Cranberry Portage, leading to the evacuation of the community to The Pas.
Reception centres have been established at the Wescana Inn in The Pas and the Victoria Inn in Flin Flon to register evacuees and arrange accommodations. The centres are supporting residents from several areas, including Sourdough Bay, Twin Lakes, Whitefish Lake, Schist Lake North, Bakers Cottage Subdivision, and Bakers Narrows Provincial Park. Approximately 675 residents have been evacuated so far, with the possibility of more evacuations as conditions change.
Smoke from the wildfires is affecting local communities, including Flin Flon. Residents are advised to limit outdoor activity, stay indoors with windows and doors closed, set air conditioning units to recirculate, and drink plenty of water to protect against harmful smoke inhalation.
Provincial Trunk Highway (PTH) 10 from Bakers Narrows to PTH 39 is open from 8 a.m. to midnight with a police escort. Outside these hours, PTH 10 will be closed and barricaded. The Sherridon access road at the junction of PTH 10 remains closed.
Hydro service has been restored to customers in the area surrounding the fire. Campgrounds in Bakers Narrows and Grass River provincial parks are closed until at least May 27. Backcountry travel along the Grass River from Cranberry Portage to Reed Lake is prohibited.
Air tankers and helicopters are working on the fire, with additional crews from Manitoba and Parks Canada joining the effort. More crews from New Brunswick and Quebec are expected in the coming week.
Fire WE011, near Wanless north of The Pas, is approximately 2,785 hectares and is about 2.5 km from the community of Wanless. Crews are working to protect the hydro line between The Pas and Cranberry Portage. The fire is approximately 2 km away from PTH 10, potentially impacting visibility for those travelling on the highway.
Communications services to Flin Flon, Cranberry Portage, and Sherridon have been restored following an outage. Provincial burning permits are required for outdoor fires set within the burn permit area from April 1 to Nov. 15 annually. Burn permit holders are reminded to check weather conditions, have adequate suppression equipment, ensure proper fuel breaks are in place before burning, and never leave an outdoor fire unattended.
