'So much devastation': Lac du Bonnet evacuees grieve destruction as wildfire rages on

Arturo Chang · CBC News

· Posted: May 16, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

People who were forced retired of their homes by a wildfire successful eastbound Manitoba accidental they're shattered by the standard of demolition and nonaccomplishment seen successful their close-knit community.

The occurrence successful the agrarian municipality of Lac du Bonnet has claimed 2 lives and destroyed dozens of homes. As of Thursday, the 4,000-hectare blaze was inactive considered retired of control.

Between 800 and 1,000 radical are estimated to person been forced to retired of their homes and cottages successful the community, which is about 100 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.

Michelle Potter and her daughter Emily were among the evacuees. She said her location survived, but everything astir it was destroyed by the fire.

The household saw ruined homes and the wreckage of vehicles abandoned connected the roadworthy arsenic they made their mode to information Tuesday.

"A batch of cottages person been — there's not adjacent immoderate rubble left," she said. "We're conscionable benignant of similar this small pouch and we're OK. And past up the road, everything is gone."

WATCH | Lac du Bonnet evacuees recount evacuation: 

"It genuinely feels similar a occurrence that the occurrence turned absorption and spared us," said Emily Potter, who leaves adjacent her mother. "But it's truly hard to consciousness similar we got a triumph erstwhile there's truthful overmuch devastation and mislaid lives and horrible things happening."

RCMP announced Wednesday it recovered the remains of a mates who were trapped successful Lac du Bonnet by the flames. Police said archetypal responders couldn't get to them earlier due to the fact that of the utmost conditions caused by the fire.

People successful the country said Sue and Richard Nowell were good known successful the close-knit community, and their decease leaves them heartbroken.

WATCH | Community devastated by wildfire deaths:

Shane McCoy lives adjacent wherever the mates was found. He and his wife, Lydia near their location Tuesday aft RCMP told them they had to go. 

"We've conscionable been going by the grace of God that we inactive person a house. Neighbours haven't been truthful fortunate," helium said. "There's rather a fewer neighbours that don't person a location to [come back] to anymore."

The RM of Lac du Bonnet said the occurrence had destroyed astatine slightest 28 structures arsenic of Thursday.

McCoy said that portion the location is OK, he's worried the upwind could propulsion the occurrence closer, arsenic good arsenic about the information of their favored birds. He said helium doesn't cognize erstwhile he'll beryllium capable to spell back.

Michelle Potter is staying successful Beausejour, portion Emily is successful Winnipeg. She said she'd ne'er thought she'd ever question whether she would beryllium capable to instrumentality to a location she's lived successful since the precocious 1980s.

Emily said her ma had to beryllium dragged retired by her stepdad arsenic she attempted to instrumentality each the family's photos disconnected the partition and battalion them up.

"There's conscionable truthful galore decades of memories of surviving there. I cognize it was truly hard for my ma to permission that spot and not to cognize what you're going backmost to," she said.