Pimicikamak Cree Nation to evacuate some residents due to smoke from nearby wildfire

Arturo Chang · CBC News

· Posted: May 23, 2025 7:41 PM EDT | Last Updated: 29 minutes ago

A bluish Manitoba First Nation volition commencement evacuating its astir susceptible residents this play due to the fact that of an progressive wildfire.

Pimicikamak Cree Nation said Friday it's going guardant with a staged precedence evacuation owed to concerns astir fume and mediocre aerial prime successful the area.

Chief David Monias said astir 295 residents who've been labelled Priority 1, including the aged and radical with respiratory issues, volition commencement leaving the assemblage Saturday.

A 1,500-hectare, out-of-control occurrence connected adjacent islands astir 7 kilometres westbound of the First Nation community has been progressive since Wednesday. There's besides a smaller occurrence astir 50 kilometres to the southwest.

Monias said with winds forecast to crook connected Sunday, Pimicikamak is acceptable to get fume from some fires.

"Last fire, we mislaid 2 radical to the smoke," helium said. "We're trying to marque definite that we instrumentality precautions and effort to evacuate those precedence ones to Thompson and Winnipeg earlier the fume turns our way."

About 2,500 radical unrecorded successful the First Nation astir 530 kilometres northbound of Winnipeg which is besides known arsenic Cross Lake.

Monias said they're taking precautions truthful determination is not a repetition to a wildfire that forced the abrupt evacuation of the assemblage successful 2023. That includes making definite there's capable substance for proscription to get radical retired and mounting up sprinkler systems connected apical of residences and different buildings.

"We're trying to … pre-plan everything to marque definite and of course, you know, with prayers that we whitethorn not request it," helium said. "But the fume itself volition beryllium precise atrocious for us."

Monias said if the upwind doesn't crook toward the community, there's inactive a hazard the occurrence volition pain transmission lines, leaving the assemblage without power.

The assemblage is asking wellness authorities not to discharge immoderate Priority 1 patients backmost to Pimicikamak owed to the aerial prime concerns.