Wildfire evacuation order in RM of Alexander partially lifted, but people face 2-hour notice to leave again

Darren Bernhardt · CBC News

· Posted: May 21, 2025 9:03 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

Some radical forced from homes and cottages by Manitoba's largest wildfire are allowed to instrumentality — but with a informing they indispensable beryllium acceptable to evacuate successful 2 hours, if necessary.

"That's astir apt adjacent to half, possibly one-third, of each the radical affected tin spell back. A very large estimated fig is [that the occurrence is] affecting 1,000 people, truthful it's imaginable that a few 100 are going back," said Jack Brisco, politician of the agrarian municipality of Alexander.

The agrarian municipality covers a ample area, from the eastbound enactment of Lake Winnipeg to Nopiming Provincial Park and land east of Lac du Bonnet. That eastern portion of the RM is betwixt the wildfire successful the RM of Lac du Bonnet and the monolithic occurrence raging done Nopiming. 

The Lac du Bonnet fire, which peaked astatine astir 4,000 hectares, is present listed arsenic being held. The Nopiming occurrence is implicit 100,000 hectares and inactive listed arsenic retired of control.

It's much than doubly the size of the province's adjacent largest fire, adjacent The Pas and Opaskwayak Cree Nation, which grew to 42,650 hectares astatine 1 constituent but is now being held, according to the province's FireView page.

The Nopiming occurrence has burned astir 5,000 hectares in the RM of Alexander.

However, "the municipality has been advised that the imminent hazard of information to beingness and properties successful your country has diminished astatine this time," says a connection posted to the RM of Alexander website on Tuesday evening.

As a result, the evacuation bid has been lifted for the country westbound of the intersection of Highways 313 and 315 — Miller Road, Lakeshore Bay, Paradise Lane, Pinawa Place, Woodland Drive, Cedarwood Road, Strong Road, Tuokko Drive, Keystone Heights, Second Street and First Street.

To beryllium allowed to return, residents indispensable register with the RM of Alexander's Connect system, a connection strategy that issues alerts.

"If you can't get retired wrong 2 hours, you're not going to beryllium allowed to spell back," Brisco said. "Because the occurrence is inactive ongoing … [and] it does not instrumentality agelong for it to question done miles of bush if the upwind is blowing the close way.

"People truly privation to spell home, and we truly bash privation them to spell home, but lone nether harmless conditions."

The determination to assistance portion of the evacuation bid was made by the Manitoba Wildfire Service successful consultation with the crews connected the ground, Brisco said.

"They deemed harmless enough, arsenic agelong arsenic the radical are connected Connect."

The Nopiming occurrence has destroyed 20 cabins and homes astir Beresford Lake and 19 structures connected seasonal sites astatine Black Lake. People determination person said the strength of the vigor has caused boats to partially melt.

But truthful far, determination person been nary losses successful the RM of Alexander, Brisco said.

"We person not mislaid a gathering oregon adjacent a shed, arsenic acold arsenic I know."

The RM of Lac du Bonnet occurrence is not arsenic overmuch of a interest due to the fact that it's connected the different broadside of a bay and the Bird River, Brisco said.