Lac du Bonnet wildfire forces out nearly 1,000 people during 'very dark day' in eastern Manitoba

Darren Bernhardt · CBC News

· Posted: May 14, 2025 8:54 AM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

Hundreds of radical person been forced retired of a swath of cottage state successful eastbound Manitoba arsenic a raging out-of-control wildfire adjacent Lac du Bonnet rapidly grew successful strength done the precocious day and evening connected Tuesday.

"Yesterday was a precise acheronian time for our portion here, certainly," said Loren Schinkel, reeve of the agrarian municipality of Lac du Bonnet, said Wednesday morning.

"Late past nighttime we extended the evacuation bid for the seventh time due to the fact that of the concern wherever the upwind shifted. I would estimation that there's 800 to 1,000 radical that person been displaced from their residences arsenic of past night.

Cooler temperatures person moved into the province but "we're inactive not retired of the woods here, truthful to speak, due to the fact that the occurrence is inactive burning" and determination is interest the caller winds, present coming from the northbound alternatively than the south, will push propulsion the flames backmost crossed Highway 313, helium told CBC Manitoba Information Radio big Marcy Markusa.

"I person to commend each of the radical that were retired connected the beforehand lines trying to prevention properties passim the night. The RCMP surely were retired determination protecting beingness and oregon spot and our front-line crews were retired determination trying to prevention properties arsenic well," Schinkel said.

There are nary reports of injuries but determination has been "significant nonaccomplishment of structures" astir the Wendigo Beach area," helium said.

The RCMP person sent further officers to the Lac du Bonnet portion to assist with evacuations, patrol evacuated areas, and provide other supports required by section authorities, the Mounties said successful a quality merchandise Tuesday night.

That includes a squad of 12 highly-trained officers from the hunt and rescue unit, the merchandise stated.

They person acceptable up roadblocks on aggregate points of Highway 313 with lone exigency personnel allowed to pass.

The occurrence is the aforesaid 1 that has prompted different evacuation orders and states of section exigency around Nopiming, Wallace Lake, South Atikaki, and Manigotagan River provincial parks.

A mandatory evacuation successful the Pointe du Bois area of Whiteshell Provincial Park was besides ordered connected Tuesday.

The occurrence was estimated to beryllium astir 5,000 hectares successful size arsenic of Tuesday afternoon, according to the province's online occurrence map. 

Evacuation orders for the RM of Lac du Bonnet include:

• Wendigo Road and adjoining sub divisions from Highway 313 to and including Grausdin Point.
• Highway 433 and Cape Coppermine Road from Lagsdin Way to, and including, Cape Coppermine (and all adjoining sub divisions).

All evacuees indispensable study to the Lac du Bonnet assemblage hallway connected McArthur Avenue successful the municipality of Lac du Bonnet to register. Anyone who has left the country without registering is asked to telephone 204-345–2860 to register.