Manitoba declares provincewide state of emergency over wildfires

CBC News

· Posted: May 28, 2025 5:28 PM EDT | Last Updated: 41 minutes ago

Manitoba has declared a provincewide authorities of exigency arsenic wildfires proceed to endanger communities crossed the province. 

An exigency alert issued astatine astir 5:25 p.m. CT Wednesday said the measurement was owed to rapidly spreading wildfires and utmost occurrence conditions successful bluish and eastbound Manitoba.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said the "significant step" volition impact the evacuation of about 17,000 radical arsenic fires continued to intensify passim Wednesday.

"This is the largest evacuation Manitoba volition person seen successful astir people's surviving memory," he said during a Wednesday evening quality conference.

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Evacuation orders person been issued for the metropolis of Flin Flon, Pimicikamak Cree Nation and the bluish assemblage of Cross Lake, on with Pukatawagan Cree Nation, besides known arsenic Mathias Colomb First Nation, Kinew said. 

The bulk of the evacuees volition caput to Winnipeg, helium said, and volition beryllium housed at large facilities specified as soccer fields and arenas, helium said.

Kinew said Prime Minister Mark Carney has accepted the province's petition to person the Canadian Armed Forces measurement successful to help. The subject volition beryllium deployed to alert radical to safety "in hours alternatively of days," the premier said.

The authorities of exigency volition beryllium successful effect for 30 days but whitethorn beryllium extended if necessary, the state said successful a quality release.

Flin Flon evacuation

The wildfire threatening Flin Flon, a metropolis of astir 5,000 that's astir 630 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, started earlier this week astatine a landfill successful Creighton, Sask., conscionable crossed the provincial border, and dispersed into Manitoba. Kinew said he's in talks with Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe to guarantee radical connected some sides of the borderline are taken attraction of amid health-care disruptions caused by the fire.

Ahead of the province's exigency declaration, Flin Flon Mayor George Fontaine told CBC News successful a Wednesday day telephone telephone that each residents of the northwestern Manitoba metropolis volition person to permission by midnight.

On Tuesday, the metropolis asked residents to pre-register successful lawsuit of a imaginable evacuation. Anyone who has not yet registered tin bash truthful via the City of Flin Flon's website, officials said successful a merchandise posted to Facebook connected Wednesday afternoon. 

Residents person been told to marque arrangements to enactment with friends and family, oregon telephone the 211 wellness and societal services enactment for accusation astir shelters successful Winnipeg. 

Anyone who needs accusation oregon assistance tin spell to the assemblage hall, the City of Flin Flon said.

The Town of Creighton besides issued an evacuation bid connected Wednesday afternoon, asking its citizens to permission arsenic soon arsenic possible. The municipality said Creighton residents who don't person proscription to get retired of municipality should conscionable astatine the arena Thursday morning. 

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, an advocacy radical for First Nations successful bluish Manitoba, said earlier Wednesday the airdrome successful Pimicikamak was not operational, and the assemblage can't entree the main road due to the fact that of the fire. MKO said Pukatawagan has besides been chopped disconnected from its airport.

"Local leaders successful respective bluish communities, some successful cities similar Flin Flon but besides successful First Nations, person made the telephone that their folks request to permission their homes truthful we tin support you safe," Kinew said.

"If you are successful Flin Flon, delight spell to Winnipeg. If you are successful Pimicikamak oregon Pukatawagan, perceive to absorption from your section leadership."