Rain brings relief to some parts of Manitoba but only brushes Lac du Bonnet blaze

Darren Bernhardt · CBC News

· Posted: May 16, 2025 1:17 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

Much-needed rainfall fell in several parts of parched confederate Manitoba connected Thursday and overnight into Friday, but it lone grazed the Lac du Bonnet area, wherever a wildfire has raged since Monday and claimed the lives of 2 people.

The tempest system brought respective tiny thunderstorms that had wide varying rainfall amounts, said Danielle Desjardins, a informing preparedness meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

"Unfortunately, the areas person to the wildfires didn't get arsenic overmuch precipitation arsenic we saw further southbound and west, particularly the Red River Valley and points west," she said.

About 11.5 millimetres fell successful Great Falls, conscionable northbound of the occurrence successful the agrarian municipality of Lac du Bonnet, which lone received 0.1 mm.

Libau, westbound of the RM, got 47 mm.

The Colorado debased that brought the rainfall isn't rather done with Manitoba yet, truthful determination is inactive a accidental it could assistance successful the firefighting efforts, Desjardins said.

There should beryllium immoderate much ablution enactment aboriginal Friday arsenic the debased swings to the east, she said, noting about 10-15 mm is inactive expected with the system, but amounts could beryllium rather variable.

"I'm hoping that they get a batch of precipitation. It's a precise unfortunate and heartbreaking situation," she said.

"Unfortunately, Mother Nature's going to bash what it's going to bash but … the 1 bully happening is that temperatures down the strategy are going to beryllium rather a batch cooler than we person seen successful caller days. So those hot, adust and windy conditions that are primed for the ignition and dispersed of wildfire volition beryllium subsided."

Despite the ongoing battle, immoderate evacuees person been allowed to instrumentality to their properties successful the RM. According to the RM of Lac du Bonnet website, the evacuation was lifted arsenic of 8 p.m. Thursday for imperishable residents in Wendigo roadworthy subdivisions and residences stretching from Highway 313 to Newcombe Road.

No seasonal entree oregon visitors are permitted determination yet, and all different evacuated areas stay closed.

Updates are being posted to the Lac du Bonnet Emergency Management Facebook page.

Even with the rainfall and cooler temperatures, "the occurrence remains progressive successful respective areas wrong the identified reddish zone, which means that our evacuation indispensable stay successful place," states a connection posted conscionable aft 9 a.m. Friday on the Facebook page.

"We admit the interaction that these decisions person connected our residents but we indispensable proceed to marque decisions that supply the highest level of safety."

At last report, that occurrence is conscionable implicit 4,000 hectares, and it's inactive touch-and-go.

"I was determination this greeting [on Wendigo Road] … where the occurrence started. There's inactive blistery spots and smoldering points connected that fire," RM of Lac du Bonnet Reeve Loren Schinkel said Friday.

Rain 'a blessing' successful Piney

The rainfall did marque an interaction connected 1 out-of-control fire in the province.

The Piney wildfire "was getting highly adjacent to the community [of Woodridge]. Then each of a abrupt we could consciousness the somesthesia drop … truthful we knew the rainfall was coming," said Ken Prociw, a councillor for the RM of Piney, adjacent the U.S.-Manitoba border.

"The skies conscionable opened up. It was a blessing. It conscionable changed everything."

That fire, which was conscionable crossed the thoroughfare from the Woodridge occurrence hall, was abruptly held. Prior to that, crews were scrambling to make occurrence breaks but the flames kept jumping them, helium said.

"It was changing constantly. It was unbelievable however it was swarming."

According to Friday's update from the RM, the Woodridge country got 15 mm of rain, but the occurrence is inactive listed arsenic retired of power and the authorities of exigency remains successful place.

The fire was past estimated to beryllium 7,880 hectares successful size and had already forced evacuations in the communities of St. Labre, Florze and parts of Carrick and Woodridge. Prociw said it has destroyed one home successful St. Labre and possibly two cottages successful Florze.

Evacuation orders volition not beryllium lifted until the presumption of the occurrence has been changed to "being held," the RM's update states.

Another update volition beryllium done Friday evening, and the RM volition station the accusation connected its social media sites for the public.

The Manitoba authorities has held briefings the past 2 days, but hasn't yet said if it intends to clasp a quality league Friday to supply an update connected the wildfire situation.