Hundreds of Peguis First Nation residents bused to Winnipeg after wildfire evacuation

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/05/2025 (371 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Hundreds of Peguis First Nation residents were forced to flee in the dead of night due to wildfires breaking out in and around the community on the weekend.

More than 300 people evacuated after the Interlake community, with the largest First Nations in population in the province, declared a state of emergency on Sunday at about 4 p.m.

At least one house was destroyed, as were several garages and outbuildings, the band’s leadership stated in a Facebook post Monday morning.

“The flames were right along the road when we were leaving,” said Peguis resident Marshall Williams, who drove one of the school buses to a Winnipeg hotel filled with families who were evacuated.

“The grass and ditches were on fire. The kids were oohing and aahing, but their parents weren’t. Then the kids were crying all the way in to Winnipeg.

“But I got everybody here safely.”

Another bus driver, Janice Stevenson, said she was warned by her manager to be on standby to help people evacuate. Five minutes later, she was told to get to her bus because the order had come.

“We could see the flames — they were right in the community itself,” she said.

Stevenson said she had been told at least four houses had been destroyed and some people have lost pets.

“It came up really fast,” she said. “It was so shocking that it was so fast.

“There was so much smoke around while I was driving. I tried not to open the windows on the bus.”

Stevenson said she started driving the bus about 1:30 a.m. and arrived in Winnipeg about 3:30 a.m.

“We’ve had no update about when we can return,” she said.

Peguis said 217 evacuees were registered in Winnipeg while another 123 went to Selkirk.

High winds, hot temperatures and dry conditions threatened homes across the community, and power outages were widespread because of downed power lines.

“The losses our community has faced are heartbreaking,” Chief Stan Bird said in a news release issued by the Interlake Reserves Tribal Council on Monday.

“We are mobilizing all available resources and working hand in hand with emergency services to protect lives and property.”

The main wildfire was under control Monday morning, but small bush fires continued to burn, Peguis said on social media. Damage is still being assessed.

Fire crews from several other First Nations helped in the effort, Peguis said.

The First Nation previously said it had temporarily banned the use of off-road vehicles in the community to reduce the risk of more fires. Community members were asked to stay away from roads leading to areas affected by fire.

The tribal council, a partnership composed of Peguis and six other First Nations, said two other Interlake communities — Kinonjeoshtegon (also known as Jackhead) and Pinaymootang (also known as Fairford) — are also affected by the fires.

“Tragically, homes in both Fairford and Peguis have already been lost to the flames,” the council said.

Two wildfires on each side of the road into Kinonjeoshtegon First Nation are rapidly approaching, and the community has begun evacuation efforts, the tribal council said.

An emergency command centre is being set up at a Winnipeg hotel to co-ordinate local, provincial and federal agencies.

It added ground crews and aerial support are fighting the fires while ensuring the safety of residents.

“We are in a critical situation that requires immediate action and support. Our thoughts are with those who have lost their homes, and we are committed to providing all necessary resources to safeguard our communities,” tribal council chairman Chief Cornell McLean said in the release.

Manitoba RCMP and the Canadian Red Cross confirmed they helped with evacuation efforts in Peguis.

Police said the cause of the fire is being investigated.

Further north, Opaskwayak Cree Nation said late Sunday that a mandatory wildfire evacuation order for residents of the Bracken Dam area remains in effect. Residents of the Big Eddy and Carrot River areas, who were also evacuated Sunday, were allowed to return home but told to remain “on high alert.”

Two schools and a child-care centre on OCN, which is located near The Pas, were closed Monday because of the situation.

There are nine active fires in Manitoba.

— with files from The Canadian Press

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca