Evacuation 'likely expected' for Leaf Rapids as wildfires threaten northern Manitoba town

Arturo Chang · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 06, 2025 1:38 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

Leaf Rapids residents are being told to get acceptable to permission connected abbreviated announcement arsenic wildfires endanger yet different Manitoba community.

The town announced successful a Facebook post at 10 a.m. Sunday that an evacuation is "likely expected," and could come into effect with announcement of 10 hours oregon less.

A occurrence southwest of the assemblage was much than 5,000 hectares successful size arsenic of Saturday, according to the provincial occurrence map. Another blaze to Leaf Rapids' southeast — adjacent O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation — was astir 100 hectares, with the municipality saying successful a erstwhile update it whitethorn endanger hydro infrastructure.

Both fires remained retired of power arsenic of the latest provincial update.

"I woke up astir 6:30 a.m. and it was truly smoky outside. You could odor it wrong and I was kind of tense to adjacent spell backmost to bed," Leaf Rapids nonmigratory Elizabeth Charrier said.

"My girl has a acold close present and my lad has asthma. So I've conscionable been keeping them successful due to the fact that it is affecting people's breathing.… [there's a] lot of elders present that person wellness issues."

The municipality said arrangements for the evacuation are taking place, and further announcement volition beryllium fixed to residents erstwhile determination are any updates.

WATCH | Northern communities forced to evacuate again by fires:

Charrier said the past fewer days person been stressful.

"You don't cognize what's going to hap next," she said. "We support going for a thrust to conscionable cheque connected the smoke."

Provincial Road 493 from Leaf Rapids to Lynn Lake — astir 75 kilometres northwest arsenic the crow flies — is closed due to the fact that of occurrence and smoke. On Thursday, Lynn Lake residents were ordered to evacuate the assemblage due to the fact that of the occurrence there, which was astir 80,000 hectares successful size.

About 350 radical lived successful Leaf Rapids arsenic of the 2021 census. The assemblage is astir 750 kilometres northbound of Winnipeg.

Charrier said the concern seems to beryllium much successful power than astir 2 years ago, erstwhile a wildfire forced the evacuation of the town during a enactment turnover.

"Our vehicles are packed. We're conscionable putting things similar pictures we've been going through," she said. 

"Last clip we were rushing, determination was things we thought of aft that could burn … I would person wanted to person with me, but this time, we've got our our important things successful a container and everything's successful the conveyance and we're acceptable to go."

O-Pipon-Na-Piwin evacuations 'running smoothly': Chief

O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation, located astir 75 kilometres northeast of Leaf Rapids, began evacuating residents with high-priority aesculapian needs, including those with asthma and respiratory conditions, owed to dense wildfire fume successful the area. 

"The fume is coming in, and I deliberation much of it is going to beryllium blown successful by tomorrow," Chief Shirley Ducharme told CBC News connected Sunday, adding the beardown odor of fume has been affecting susceptible assemblage members' quality to breathe. 

Ducharme said about 80 radical were evacuated to Winnipeg connected Saturday. She said the Priority 1 evacuation was expected to beryllium completed implicit the weekend, with astir 70 much residents being flown retired connected Sunday.

"Things are moving smoothly. We should beryllium done with our Priority 1s by the extremity of the time today," she said. 

O-Pipon-Na-Piwin leaders and partners — including Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, Indigenous Services Canada and the Canadian Red Cross — volition beryllium debriefing aft the precedence residents person been safely evacuated.

Then they volition determine whether to alert out community Elders, considered to beryllium Priority 2 residents. 

"The fume is simply a small stronger today, but adjacent week it's predicted that we volition person much intensified fume successful our community," Ducharme said. 

She said an RCMP study from Leaf Rapids is predicting that the occurrence volition transverse Highway 391 again, which could impact hydro poles and sound retired the power.

If that's the case, Ducharme said enactment volition person to see evacuating the full First Nation, which is location to astir 980 people. 

"We'll hold and spot however things go. We mightiness person to determination guardant with Priority 2 [evacuations]. We haven't made that determination yet," she said Sunday afternoon.

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].