Pointe du Bois reopens after 'more progress' controlling wildfires around Whiteshell

CBC News

· Posted: May 25, 2025 12:43 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

A conception successful the northwest country of Whiteshell Provincial Park has reopened to the nationalist aft the state says determination has been "more progress" successful battling out-of-control wildfires.

Permanent residents, cottagers, commercialized operators and visitors are allowed backmost into Pointe du Bois as of Sunday morning, the state said successful its latest occurrence bulletin. 

The area, astir 120 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, had been nether a mandatory evacuation bid for astir 2 weeks aft utmost occurrence conditions from out-of-control wildfires encroaching connected the parkland forced its closure to the public. 

The state reopened the archetypal pockets of the Whiteshell connected Thursday, including Sylvia Lake, Eleanor Lake, Dorothy Lake, Otter Falls, Barrier Bay, Nutimik Lake and Betula Lake connected the westbound broadside of the park. 

Those returning to the parkland "must beryllium prepared to evacuate with small notice," the bulletin said.

Manitoba Parks says "more advancement has been made" to power the blazes, but the wildfires are inactive large, analyzable and expected to stay active.

Weather forecasts are besides not favourable with warm, adust conditions and nary rainfall successful the week ahead, the state said. 

"Many Manitobans are anxious to instrumentality to the parks that stay closed, but nationalist information remains the apical priority," the bulletin said. 

As of Friday, the largest occurrence encroaching connected the parkland stretches implicit 101,000 hectares northbound of the Whiteshell successful Nopiming Provincial Park. 

A wildfire is besides burning astatine the Manitoba-Ontario border, adjacent Ingolf, reaching a full 32,000 hectares successful size, with astir 1,650 hectares connected the Manitoba side as of Friday. 

"Restrictions and closures stay successful spot for everyone's information and allows occurrence crews and exigency responders abstraction to bash their work," the state said. 

The bulk of the Whiteshell remains nether a mandatory evacuation order. The campgrounds successful the provincial parkland stay closed to bounds overnight guests, hiking trails are closed and backcountry travel is prohibited. 

The state is asking for patience and practice arsenic the concern continues to unfold.