300 vulnerable residents in Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation still waiting to be evacuated: deputy chief

Lauren Scott · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 08, 2025 10:32 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

Hundreds of susceptible residents successful bluish Manitoba, including dozens surviving successful a idiosyncratic attraction home, are inactive waiting to beryllium evacuated arsenic fume from aggregate adjacent wildfires shrouds Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation.

The First Nation declared a authorities of exigency connected Sunday day owed to dense fume from the surrounding fires. As of Tuesday night, an evacuation bid had not yet been issued, but the assemblage is trying to get its much susceptible residents retired owed to the smoke.

"On Sunday, fume successful our assemblage was truthful dense [that] you couldn't adjacent spot our neighbour's house. That's however atrocious it was," Deputy Chief Marcel Moody told CBC News connected Tuesday.  

"The conditions are truthful terrible. It's frightening," helium said. 

The closest wildfire to the assemblage has burned astir 10 hectares adjacent Notigi, conscionable nether 30 kilometres distant from Nisichawayasihk, according to a occurrence presumption study from the province.

The First Nation is located astir 60 kilometres westbound of the metropolis of Thompson, which declared its ain authorities of exigency connected Monday. An out-of-control occurrence northbound of the metropolis was 5,900 hectares arsenic of Monday, the state said. 

Moody said Nisichawayasihk's assembly has been trying to evacuate each 24 residents of the community's idiosyncratic attraction location since the authorities of exigency was declared. Those individuals are considered Priority 1 evacuees and volition beryllium the archetypal to leave, helium said. 

But Nisichawayasihk assembly said successful a Monday quality release that the residents, the bulk of them wheelchair users, person been near successful limbo after staff from the Canadian Red Cross and Indigenous Services Canada told enactment that determination were nary edifice rooms disposable anyplace successful Manitoba.

Moody said Red Cross and Indigenous Services officials besides told them determination was obscurity to nonstop evacuees in Alberta, British Columbia oregon Ontario.

Moody said assembly is trying to find accommodations for astir 300 high-priority assemblage members, including elders and people with respiratory conditions, chronic wellness conditions and mobility needs. 

"I privation to marque definite radical are harmless and healthy, and they're not compromised by the fume successful the community," helium said. "People are impacted by the fume and they privation to go." 

In a connection to CBC News, a spokesperson for the Canadian Red Cross said it could not talk straight to the organization's efforts to assistance Nisichawayasihk evacuees, but spoke mostly astir enactment provided to Manitobans affected by wildfires.

"Once Red Cross enactment is requested by assemblage leadership, past Canadian Red Cross works intimately with Indigenous enactment and provincial, municipal, and national governments to assistance with enactment and services for individuals, families, and communities," the Red Cross spokesperson said. 

The provincial authorities said it has met with Nisichawayasihk's enactment and assistance partners to effort to get evacuees to edifice rooms oregon congregate shelters in immoderate cases. 

CBC News asked Indigenous Services Canada for remark but did not person a effect earlier publication. 

Threat from fume 'very real': U of M prof

The assemblage is not successful imminent information of the occurrence itself, but arsenic radical crossed Manitoba experienced this week, mediocre aerial prime owed to wildfires tin origin coughing, irritation, wheezing and thorax pains. 

Those effects are much acutely felt the person you get to the occurrence zone, says University of Manitoba subordinate prof Chris Pascoe, who specializes successful respiratory diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

"Right astatine the tract of the fire, oregon adjacent the fire, the levels of these particulates tin get to the constituent wherever respiratory symptoms and wellness concerns tin acceptable successful precise quickly," Pascoe told CBC. 

"If we're feeling it successful the metropolis [of Winnipeg] as it's blowing through, I tin lone ideate what it's similar to beryllium close adjacent that," helium said. 

Pascoe said there's grounds that young radical who are exposed to ongoing wildfire fume are much apt to make predominant lung infections, and are astatine a greater hazard of processing asthma oregon different respiratory diseases. 

Exposing radical who already person chronic respiratory oregon bosom conditions to wildfire fume whitethorn marque their symptoms worse, Pascoe said, requiring much extended aesculapian attraction than usual.   

"The threats of wellness concerns astir particulate substance are precise real," helium said. 

As of Tuesday, Nisichawayasihk Deputy Chief Moody said helium and council are inactive waiting to find retired wherever the 300 high-priority assemblage members, including the 24 care-home residents, volition beryllium sent. 

"Hopefully we don't person to determination … everybody, but if we person to, we will. But close present our absorption is connected the astir susceptible people," helium said. 

There are much than 3,000 radical surviving successful the First Nation, which lone has 1 main roadworthy out and nary airport. 

"There's tons of smoke, and we're frightened that [if] the occurrence comes towards our assemblage … we mightiness get locked in," Moody said. 

Until then, helium said Nisichawayasihk volition beryllium waiting for an reply from the Red Cross and Indigenous Services — and hoping for rain.  

"I deliberation they're forecasting for immoderate rainfall implicit the weekend. Hopefully we person tons of it," helium said. 

Find the latest wildfire accusation astatine these sources:

• Canadian wildfire map
• Province of Manitoba occurrence bulletins
• CBC's wildfire tracker
• Communities nether evacuations successful Manitoba

Are you an evacuee who needs assistance? Contact Manitoba 211 by calling 211 from anyplace successful Manitoba oregon email [email protected].