Manitoba fire officials say the 500-plus evacuees who fled from their homes on the weekend due to a wildlife near Cranberry Portage may be able to return to their homes in a few days.
“With (power) being restored in Cranberry Portage and Bell MTS restoring all of their service, we’re in good shape toward the weekend, hopefully, to get folks back in there,” said Earl Simmons, director of the Manitoba Wildfire Service, Wednesday.
“We appreciate this huge inconvenience to be out of their house, but we want to make sure they are safe before they return to the community.”
NEENA LUNDIE PHOTO
Smoke can be seen from a wildlife near Cranberry Portage Saturday afternoon. The 580 people who fled the community on the weekend due to the 31,600 hectare wildfire may be able to return to their homes in a few days.
The blaze east of Flin Flon was sparked by lightning May 9, and was spurred on by high winds and drought conditions.
It grew to around 31,600 hectares — about 70 per cent of the size of Winnipeg — as of Saturday, prompting the province to issue an evacuation order for the community and surrounding area.
The evacuation has affected 580 people, the province said in an update Wednesday.
Many headed to The Pas and Flin Flon, where they have been waiting for word on when they can return home.
The wildfire service deployed dozens of firefighters to the region. They were backed up by seven helicopters, six water bombers and an assortment of heavy equipment. Additional support crews from Ontario had arrived by Wednesday, with further crews incoming from Parks Canada, Quebec and New Brunswick, Simmons said.
Those crews will continue to fight the blaze, which is still “a huge priority for the wildfire service,” he said.
“It’s burnt down deep, so there’s going to be a lot of work to do there,” Simmons said, describing how fire crews will have to dig metres into the ground in some places to ensure the blaze is extinguished.
The decision to allow evacuees to return will be co-ordinated with the provincial Emergency Management Organization, once the fire line near Cranberry Portage has been contained.
Simmons said operations to secure the fire line, which remains roughly 1.5 kilometres outside the community, were roughly 80 per cent complete by Wednesday.
“We will give people some advance notice when they can return,” he said.
Simmons noted the fire highlights a troubling trend in Canada in which the wildfire season has started earlier than normal, lasted longer and become more intense in recent years.
“We need to build on the fire service and I believe the (provincial) government is committed to reacting, augmenting our crews and increasing our numbers,” he said.
After a helicopter tour of the northern fire zone Tuesday, Premier Wab Kinew said Manitoba needs to be alert and prepared for whatever the season brings.
“I think it’s important to strike the right balance between taking it seriously and not wanting to downplay any sort of risk to the wildfire season.”
“So with that in mind, the fact that the wildfire season has started earlier than is typical — I think that does mean that we’re going to have to really lean into ensuring that all the resources are there to fight the fires, and that the supports are there for evacuees when they need it.”
On Thursday, Harjit Sajjan, the federal minister of emergency preparedness, is expected in Winnipeg to make an announcement about firefighting resources.
— With files from Nicole Buffie
tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca
Tyler Searle
Reporter
Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press’ city desk. Since joining the paper in 2022, he has found himself driving through blizzards, documenting protests and scouring the undersides of bridges for potential stories.