MANITOBA – Wildfires are causing widespread evacuations and states of emergency for various communities across Western Canada. Here is a look at who is being impacted the most.
Wildfire in Peace River, B.C., quadruples in size after evacuation order
A wildfire in northeastern British Columbia that prompted an evacuation order on Thursday has quadrupled in size.
The BC Wildfire Service is reporting that the blaze in the Peace River Regional District near the community of Kelly Lake is now about 46 square kilometres in size, up from 11 square kilometres Thursday afternoon.
The out-of-control fire was burning close to the Pembina Steeprock gas processing facility and Highway 52 E, also known as the Heritage Highway.
The Peace River Regional District issued the evacuation order for homes around Kelly Lake and areas north of Campbell Lake, west of Tent Lake, south of Twin Lakes, and east to the Alberta border.
Census data suggests Kelly Lake has a population of about 75 residents and the district says people should evacuate to Dawson Creek.
The fire is among about 60 burning in the province, 34 of which are classified as burning out of control.
The online dashboard of the BC Wildfire Service says the Kiskatinaw River fire was discovered on Wednesday and is believed to be human caused.
Of the active fires in B.C., the service says 18 per cent were human caused, 77 per cent were started by lightning, while five per cent have unknown causes.
Mayor of Flin Flon, Man., says fierce winds may cause wildfire to hit his city
The mayor of Flin Flon, Man., says fierce, shifting winds are threatening to propel a nearby raging wildfire into the city and begin burning structures.
George Fontaine says the situation is, in his words, “looking very ugly” and that if they don’t get some help the fire will begin taking chunks out of the city of 5,000.
All residents of the remote northwestern municipality were ordered out earlier this week ahead of a wildfire that began over the boundary in Saskatchewan but is now menacing Flin Flon on its northern perimeter.
Hudbay Minerals Inc. says its non-essential staff in the Flin Flon, Man., area are evacuating because of wildfires in the region.
The company says it hasn’t been actively mining at its Flin Flon site since 2022, but it still runs care and maintenance work and also has services there to support its Snow Lake operation.
The city has directed all remaining residents to be out before noon, with buses taking those who don’t have shelter to Winnipeg.
Winnipeg has opened up public buildings for evacuees as it deals with hotels already crammed with other fire refugees and conventiongoers.
Manitoba is having one of its worst fire years in recent memory, with blazes forcing about 17,000 people from their homes, most of them in the remote north.
Saskatchewan and Manitoba have both declared provincewide states of emergency to deal with the wildfires
In Saskatchewan, more than 4,000 people have fled the flames, including more than 2,000 in Pelican Narrows.
Alberta, which has taken the brunt of wildfire damage in recent years, has been comparatively better off.
©2025 The Canadian Press
Recent Comments