As a 6,000-hectare wildfire inches closer to a northern Manitoba community, those who were able to be evacuated are thinking about others left behind.
The blaze, which is raging about nine kilometres south of Bunibonibee Cree Nation, has forced a full evacuation of the community, which is accessible only by air.
Trisha North and her four-year-old son Adonis were scheduled to fly to Winnipeg for a work commitment Tuesday when it was cancelled because of heavy smoke. She learned the community, 580 kilometres north of Winnipeg, was to be evacuated that evening.
“Everyone went to bed worrying and sending pictures of the fire,” North said from her Winnipeg hotel room Thursday afternoon. “It was kind of a really nerve-wracking time and we weren’t sure what we’d wake up to.”
North and her son, who moved to Bunibonibee in June, were able to get on a chartered flight Wednesday night. Others are being flown to Winnipeg, Brandon and Thompson on C-130 Hercules aircraft.
Wednesday morning was chaotic as temperatures soared and members of the community — population roughly 2,700 — waited to be told when they would leave, North said. By evening, rain rolled in and things became calmer.
Favourable weather and wind conditions helped prevent the fire, which was sparked by a lightning strike, from getting closer to the community, Manitoba Wildfire Service director Earl Simmons said.
“We wanted… to give the community time so it wasn’t a panic and give them a bit of a heads-up,” Simmons said Thursday afternoon. “Our first priority was to get everyone out of the community.”
Simmons hopes everyone will be out of Bunibonibee by Friday. No other communities are threatened by the fire at this time, he said.
The wildfire service’s next priorities are to protect buildings closest to the fire and then go to work on the blaze, Simmons said. Firefighters want to get ahead of the fire before the weather is predicted to change over the weekend and become hotter and drier.
A spokesperson for the Canadian Red Cross said it is working with the Canadian Armed Forces to co-ordinate transportation. Those with health conditions are highest priority. The Red Cross also provides lodging, food and personal items like hygiene kits, diapers and formula for evacuees.
Simmons said there are currently 71 fires in the province, which is high for this time of year. A few have been purposely set, which means firefighting crews have been stretched thin.
“We certainly can’t afford to have any human-caused fire,” Simmons said. “We’re having enough challenges with all the lightning fires. It’s all hands on deck and everybody’s working really hard to try to deal with all these fires.”
Because of the extreme heat and dry conditions, the fires burn deep into the ground, meaning firefighters have to dig to extinguish the fire in addition to quenching flames above ground, Simmons said.
Additional resources are on the way from Ontario, Quebec and the U.S. Some personnel from Newfoundland are expected to arrive this weekend to aid in the fight, Simmons said.
North said she’s still thinking of those waiting for flights out of Bunibonibee, especially the children and elderly that need more assistance.
“I’m absolutely concerned for the people that are still in the community,” North said. “When we left on our flight, I just felt really bad for everybody that was still there. I hope that everyone can be evacuated safely.”
She’s also thinking about friends and family waiting to return home, adding she hopes to be back home soon.
“I always worry about our community members getting the support they need and especially being displaced in a city that they’re not used to,” North said. “I’m just worried for their health and safety as well and that they can be well while we’re waiting.”
jura.mcilraith@freepress.mb.ca