The Manitoba Wildfire Service (MWS) advises that fire danger continues to be moderate in most of the province, with the far northwest and eastern areas having a high fire danger.

The MWS is asking all Manitobans to take action to prevent fires, as human activity has contributed significantly to Manitoba’s current wildfire situation. Restrictions in areas 1, 2 and 3 remain at Level 3, Area 5 is at Level 2, Area 8 is at Level 1 while all other areas continue under a total burn restriction, which means no burning or campfires, even in approved pits. Refer to the areas and further details of the fire and travel restriction map found at gov.mb.ca.

The Manitoba Wildfire Service (MWS) continues to respond to 12 active wildfires across the province, a total of 87 wildfires to date, and continues to respond to the following fires of note:

East Region:

  • Fire EA057, located near Carrick, is being held at approximately 8,900 ha;
  • Fire EA059, located near Libau, is approximately 5,000 ha and is under control;
  • Fire EA061, located one kilometre (km) from Bird River, is approximately 105,000 ha and remains out of control. Mandatory evacuations continue for Pointe du Bois, Nopiming Provincial Park and the RM of Alexander. The Tanco Mine also remains evacuated and an evacuation order remains in place for Wallace Lake Cottage Association;
  • Fire EA062, located six km from Lac du Bonnet is being held at approximately 4,000 ha. The RM of Lac du Bonnet has lifted the evacuation orders. The RM of Alexander has lifted the evacuation order for the area of Provincial Road (PR) 313 to 315 including all of Pinawa Bay, Sunset Bay, Poplar Bay Road and Poplar Bay Provincial Park Campground. Local bylaw enforcement officers in co-ordination with the RCMP continue to restrict road access when necessary;
  • Fire EA063, located on the Ontario border near Ingolf, is approximately 1,650 ha on the Manitoba side of the border and approximately 32,000 ha in total size. This fire originated in Ontario and is also numbered as KEN#020. Though progress has been made, allowing select areas in Whiteshell Park that are a safe distance from the wildfire to reopen. more suppression is needed before additional areas can be reopened;
  • Fire WE004 spans from Opaskwayak Cree Nation/The Pas (OCN) to the North side of Root Lake and is under control at approximately 43,315 ha;
  • Fire WE015, located eight km from Cranberry Portage in the RM of Kelsey, is approximately 40 ha and listed as out of control;
  • Fire WE017, located 18 km from Sherridon, is approximately 2,231 ha but still out of control;
  • Fire NO002, located six km from the Town of Lynn Lake, is out of control at approximately 1,400 ha; and
  • Fire NO006, located five km from Cross Lake, is approximately 1,500 ha and still out of control.

The Manitoba Wildfire Service is working with Manitoba Parks to continuously evaluate wildfires impacting Whiteshell, Nopiming, Wallace Lake, South Atikaki, Manigotagan River, Pinawa Dam and Whitemouth provincial parks. The wildfires in eastern Manitoba are large and complex. Both fire E061 in the Nopiming area and fire E063 in the Whiteshell are expected to remain active through the weekend. Weather forecasts are not favourable with warm, dry conditions and no rain in the foreseeable future.

Park closures and evacuations are a protective measure to safeguard lives and reduce harm when wildfire poses a significant threat. Any opportunities to reopen provincial parks will depend on daily analysis of fire behaviour, suppression efforts, environmental and weather conditions, expert judgement and real-time conditions.

A full fire ban is currently in place at all provincial parks across Manitoba. No fires of any kind, at any time of day, are permitted until further notice. This includes campfires in approved firepits. The use of charcoal briquettes is prohibited. Gas appliances such as propane barbeques and stoves, can be used. Fireworks and sky lanterns are prohibited in Manitoba’s provincial parks.

For the latest information on park closures, visit gov.mb.ca.

Manitoba is appreciative of the support from other regions across Canada, and continues to have out-of-province resources supporting wildfire fighting efforts, including:

  • a water bomber group from Alberta;
  • 58 firefighters from Alberta;
  • 41 firefighters from British Columbia;
  • 19 firefighters from Parks Canada; and
  • 500 sprinklers from British Columbia.

Many municipalities have proactively implemented burning restrictions this spring, so check with the local municipal office or view the interactive burning restrictions map at manitoba.ca for more information. No burning permits will be issued for areas within or bordering any municipality where burning restrictions are already in place.

For further information on the Manitoba Wildfire Service, situation updates, restrictions and other important wildfire links, visit gov.mb.ca. To report a wildfire, call 911 or the TIP line toll-free at 1-800-782-0076.

Evacuees who need help connecting with their local authorities can contact Manitoba 211 for assistance by calling 211 from anywhere in Manitoba. For more information, visit mb.211.ca.