The Manitoba Wildfire Service advises that recent thunderstorms have resulted in numerous natural-start wildfires in the northern and western regions in Manitoba. While the number of fires remains well below the average for this date, there are several fires of concern. There are currently 58 active wildfires burning in Manitoba, with a total of 153 wildfires to date this year. This compares to the average of 257.
Visibility is expected to be reduced while travelling along Provincial Trunk Highway (PTH) 391 and possibly PTH 280 as a result of wildfires in the areas.
The Manitoba Wildfire Service continue to respond to the following fires of note:
- In the western region, fires WE032 & WE033 have grown into one large fire (WE032) located 27 kilometres (km) east of Pukatawagan and is approximately 2,392 hectares (ha) in size. Water bombers and ground crews continue to secure the fire perimeter and hold the fire south of Churchill River.
- In the northern region, fire NO038, 60 km northeast of Thompson and 55 km west of Split Lake is now estimated between 6,000 and 7,000 ha. The fire is spreading to the north and surrounded by creeks and swamps that will minimize the spread towards the south.
- Fire NO055, 35 km north of Garden Hill, 37 km south of God’s Lake Narrows and 52 km west of Red Sucker Lake, is 657 ha. Value protection is in place, including God’s Lake Narrows, Red Sucker Lake, the Bell communication tower for the Island Lake area and remote cabins.
- Fire NO063, 8 km northeast of Marcel Colomb First Nation, is approximately 150 ha. The fire spread has been towards the north and expected to continue north based on forecasted wind direction.
- Fire NO071, 4 km east of Marcel Colomb First Nation and 33 km east of Lynn Lake, is approximately 375 ha. The fire is burning away from Marcel Colomb First Nation and fire crews are focusing their efforts to stop the spread to the north.
Smoke from the wildfires continues to impact communities in the areas of these fires. Area residents are advised to take precautions to protect against harmful smoke inhalation including limiting outdoor activity, staying indoors with windows and doors closed, setting air conditioning units in homes and vehicles to recirculate to avoid drawing smoke indoors and drinking plenty of water.
Provincial burning permits are required for outdoor fires set within the burn permit area from April 1 to Nov. 15 annually. Permits can be acquired at provincial district offices. Provincial burn permits issued under the Wildfires Act may be cancelled or restricted at short notice if fire danger conditions require. The province will not issue burning permits for areas where municipalities have already implemented burning restrictions. To check for municipal burning restrictions, visit https://gov.mb.ca/wildfire/burn_conditions.html.
For more information on burn permits, contact a local municipality or the local Manitoba Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources office. Burn permit holders are reminded to check weather conditions, have adequate suppression equipment and ensure proper fuel breaks are in place before burning. Never leave an outdoor fire unattended, always extinguish it before leaving and exercise caution when in or near forested areas.
Manitobans can play a critical role in mitigating wildfire risks around their home and properties by undertaking FireSmart activities. For more information, visit:
https://firesmartcanada.ca/.
For ongoing updates on wildfires and burn permits in Manitoba, follow the Manitoba government’s X (formerly known as Twitter) account at https://twitter.com/mbgov. Further details, updates, restrictions and other important wildfire information is available at https://gov.mb.ca/wildfire/. To report a wildfire, call 911 or the TIP line (toll-free) at 1-800-782-0076.
