Northern Manitoba city declares state of local emergency due to wildfire

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This article was published 07/07/2025 (320 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LEAF RAPIDS – Wildfires that had receded in northern Manitoba have begun to roar back, forcing a wave of new evacuations and a major hub for people living in the north to declare a state of emergency.

The province reported 81 active fires on Monday with 16 of those threatening communities, leaving some residents to leave their homes immediately, flee a second time or prepare to leave on a moment’s notice.

Fire is threatening the northern city of Thompson and its 13,000 residents, resulting in officials declaring a local state of emergency effective until Aug. 6.

The city said in a Facebook post that it’s a precautionary move to ensure leadership is prepared for changing conditions.

“It gives the city the ability to take action, if necessary, to protect residents and property,” the post read.

Thompson was previously hosting wildfire evacuees from other communities in hotels and congregate shelters, but officials said Monday that is no longer the case.

The fire near Thompson is about 15 kilometres north of the city and has grown to 60 square kilometres, though officials said the city is not in danger for now.

“I wish I had a crystal ball and could scope those things out,” said Kristin Hayward with the Manitoba Wildfire Service.

“But at this time based on the current conditions, the work that we’re doing and the forecasting conditions, we don’t expect Thompson to be in immediate danger over the next couple of days at least.”

Thompson has advised residents to be prepared to go on short notice.

Elsewhere in Manitoba, the roughly 300 residents of Leaf Rapids have been told to be out by Tuesday morning ahead of a fire menacing the town 900 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

“We appreciate going through an evacuation is never easy, and thank you for your co-operation and understanding,” the town said in a Facebook post on Monday.

Work is underway to help get people out if they don’t have their own transportation.

“There’s boots on the ground in the community that are working to co-ordinate the evacuation so transportation has been arranged. Folks who require additional supports have been identified and will be supported through the evacuation,” said Christine Stevens, with Manitoba’s emergency management organization.

The province is working to secure hotel rooms for all residents as soon as possible, but some may need to use a congregate shelter for a short period of time until rooms become available, the post said.

The 600 people around Lynn Lake, north of Leaf Rapids, were ordered out last week, the second time this summer they have had to pick up and go ahead of a fire.

Residents remain out at the Tataskweyak Cree Nation and the community reported that fires have destroyed seven homes.

The province said there are seven states of local emergency and six communities remain evacuated, not including Leaf Rapids.

The increase in fire activity is related to lightning, which has sparked new fires in recent days.

“When lightning strikes, it can take three to five days, sometimes even longer, for that smoke to pop up,” said Hayward. “That’s what we’re dealing with now.”

In B.C., there were 80 wildfires across the province, with one menacing the city of Kelowna in the southern interior.

The Regional District of Central Okanagan ordered residents out of homes at seven addresses at risk from the Whelan Creek wildfire.

The district has also issued an evacuation alert for more than 100 other addresses, meaning residents must be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice.

The airport had shut down its operations on Sunday due to the blaze, but issued an update Monday saying it had returned to regular operations, although cautioned that passengers may experience cancellations or delays.

In Saskatchewan, the only road serving the northern hamlet of Patuanak and English River First Nation was closed to most traffic due to an encroaching fire.

“I’ve been advised that essential traffic is being escorted in and out, to ensure that the goods and logistics needed to keep that community whole (are) being supplied,” said Marlo Pritchard, president of the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.

The Saskatchewan government announced $20 million to help affected communities recover. The money can be used for work including debris removal, environmental testing and expansion of landfills.

This story by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2025.