The Manitoba Wildfire Service is updating fire and travel restrictions for many parts of the province to Level 2, effective 8 a.m. Thursday June 19. Recent rainfall and a full green-up, which means grass is green with less dead, cured grass and full leaves on trees, have helped reduce the fire risk in some parts of the province. Other areas remain at high risk, with significant fire suppression operations continuing and restrictions still in place.
Fire and travel restrictions
Areas 1 to 5 and areas 8 to 22 are at Level 2. This means:
- provincial burning permits are cancelled. Burn permits may be issued for agriculture and industry under the discretion of a conservation officer and Manitoba Wildfire Service.
- motorized backcountry travel, including ATVs and other off-road vehicles, is prohibited unless under the authority of a travel permit. For travel permit requests, email BackcountryTravel@gov.mb.ca or call (204) 345-1489.
- travel permit is required for remote travel within the boundaries of a fire.
- camping is restricted to developed campgrounds.
- campfires are permitted only between the hours of 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.
- wayside parks remain open.
- landing and launching is restricted to developed shorelines only.
- industry and outfitters may be restricted in their operations, and should contact their local National Resources and Indigenous Futures office for more information.
Fire and travel restrictions have been lifted for areas 6, 7 and Area A, which includes the following provincial parks: Asessippi, Beaudry, Birds Hill, Camp Morton, Duff Roblin, Grand Valley, Hnausa Beach, Hyland, Lockport, Lundar Beach, Manipogo, Margaret Bruce, Memorial, Netley Creek, Norris Lake, Oak Lake, Pembina Valley, Portage Spillway, Rainbow Beach, River Road, Rivers, Seton, St. Ambroise Beach, St. Malo, St. Norbert, Stephenfield, Trappist Monastery, Upper Fort Garry, Watchorn, William Lake, Winnipeg Beach, Yellow Quill.
The south part of Nopiming Provincial Park has reopened for permanent residents, cottagers and commercial operators. This includes Provincial Road (PR) 315, Bird Lake, Booster Lake, Flanders Lake and Davidson Lake. A closure and mandatory evacuation order continues for the rest of Nopiming Provincial Park and the entire areas of Wallace Lake, South Atikaki and Manigotagan River provincial parks.
Several provincial parks or park areas remain closed to all park users. Check www.manitobaparks.com for details and updates.
Anyone returning to reopened areas is advised to be prepared to evacuate again with little notice and should prepare an emergency go kit, as well as remain alert for evacuation notices.
Manitoba continues under a provincewide state of emergency. The provincial state of emergency under the Emergency Measures Act is in effect until June 26.
The Manitoba Wildfire Service reminds Manitobans to continue to act with great caution when outdoors. Human-caused fires put people and communities unnecessarily at risk but are preventable.
Since May 1, the Manitoba Conservation Officer Service has issued 93 charges and 31 warnings related to wildfires.
Fires of note
The Manitoba Wildfire Service continues to respond to 21 active wildfires across the province, a total of 124 wildfires to date, above the average for this date of 118 total fires.
Fires of note include:
East region:
- Fire EA061 remains out of control at approximately 218,700 hectares (ha). Provincial Road (PR) 315 is open with access to Bird Lake, Booster Lake, Flanders Lake and Davidson Lake. A closure and mandatory evacuation order continues for the rest of Nopiming Provincial Park and the entire areas of Wallace Lake, South Atikaki and Manigotagan River provincial parks. PR 314 remains closed through Nopiming Provincial Park. A two-hour evacuation notice remains in place for the Rural Municipality of Alexander from Tall Timber Road to Hill Drive.
- Fire EA063, located on the Ontario border near Ingolf, is being held at approximately 5,400 ha on the Manitoba side of the border and approximately 36,000 ha in Ontario. This fire originated in Ontario and is numbered there as KEN#020. A closure order continues for the Mantario Wilderness Zone in Whiteshell Provincial Park and the Caddy Lake tunnels are closed.
West region:
- Fire WE017, located near Sherridon and the city of Flin Flon, is approximately 370,780 ha and is out of control. Mandatory evacuation orders remain in place for Big Island, Schist Lake, Little Athapapuskow Cottage Area, Whitefish, White Lake (northwest region), Bakers Narrows Provincial Park and the city of Flin Flon.
- Fire WE023, located eight kilometres (km) from Wanless and south of Cranberry Portage, is approximately 4,920 ha and is under control.
- Fire WE025, located near Mathias Colomb Cree Nation (Pukatawagan), is approximately 55,140 ha and is being monitored. The fire around Mathias Colomb Cree Nation is contained but a mandatory evacuation order continues for Mathias Colomb Cree Nation (Pukatawagan).
- Fire WE027, located eight km from the town of Grand Rapids and Misipawistik Cree Nation, is approximately 12,000 ha and is being held.
- Fire WE028, located 10 km from Bakers Narrows Provincial Park, is approximately 7,190 ha and is out of control.
North region:
- Fire NO002, located near the town of Lynn Lake, is approximately 71,860 ha and is out of control. A mandatory evacuation order continues for the town of Lynn Lake and Marcel Colomb First Nation (Black Sturgeon).
- Fire NO005, located near Pimicikamak Cree Nation (Cross Lake), the Incorporated Community of Cross Lake, Jenpeg Generating Station and Whiskey Jack Landing, is approximately 64,860 ha and is out of control.
- Fire NO010, located near Tataskweyak Cree Nation (Split Lake), is approximately 21,560 ha and is out of control.
Information and resources for evacuees
Manitoba continues to prioritize hotel accommodations for wildfire evacuees. As of this morning, all evacuees being supported in Winnipeg and requiring accommodations have been placed in hotels.
Congregate shelter sites at the Century Arena, the Eric Coy Arena and Red River College in Winnipeg and the site in Portage la Prairie will no longer be used at this time. The province will continue to maintain capacity at the Leila Soccer Complex to support evacuees requiring emergency shelter.
The Billy Mosienko Arena continues to serve as a 24-hour reception centre to provide ongoing support for wildfire evacuees in Winnipeg.
Visit MBReady at https://mbready.manitoba.ca for more information about emergency alerts and safety, as well as resources for evacuees such as:
- registering with the Canadian Red Cross: https://gov.mb.ca/wildfire/evacuees.html#wildfire-2025
- financial support: https://gov.mb.ca/wildfire/evacuees.html#financial-support
- emergency shelters: https://gov.mb.ca/wildfire/evacuees.html#shelter
- health resources: https://gov.mb.ca/wildfire/evacuees.html#health-resources
- insurance: https://gov.mb.ca/wildfire/evacuees.html#insurance
- returning home: https://manitoba.ca/wildfire/evacuees.html#community-re-entry
For assistance, evacuees can contact Manitoba 211 from anywhere in Manitoba or by emailing 211mb@findhelp.ca. For more information, visit https://mb.211.ca/get-help-now/.
