As temperature records break around Manitoba and with little relief so far from rain, the provincial government has issued another fire bulletin, this one with increased fire bans and an evacuation order.
“With wildfire conditions continuing to escalate, the province has declared a state of local emergency (SOLE) for Nopiming, Wallace Lake, South Atikaki and Manigotagan River provincial parks and issued an evacuation order for Nopiming Provincial Park,” the province said in a release. “These parks will remain closed to the public until conditions improve.”
The following areas are affected by the evacuation order:
- Bird, Booster, Davidson and Flanders lakes in south Nopiming – cottagers, commercial resort and lodge operators, backcountry users and campers are asked to evacuate by 11 a.m. today;
- Long and Beresford lakes in north Nopiming – cottagers, commercial resort and lodge operators, backcountry users and campers are asked to evacuate by noon today; and
- Wallace Lake, South Atikaki and Manigotagan River – cottagers, residents, commercial resort and lodge operators, backcountry users and campers are asked to evacuate by noon today.
All public and private developed areas in Nopiming, Wallace Lake, South Atikaki and Manigotagan River provincial parks including cottage subdivisions, commercial areas, campgrounds, group use, day use and all recreational areas including trails, beaches, backcountry canoe routes and campsites are now closed to the public.
Closures are also being enacted in Whiteshell Provincial Park due to an out-of-control wildfire along the Ontario boundary. The Mantario Trail, Whiteshell River Self-Guiding Trail and the water routes, portages and backcountry campsites along the Whiteshell River and Mantario area from Caddy Lake to Lone Island Lake are closed.
Further updates will be available as they come at www.manitobaparks.com.
