Thousands of people are fleeing their homes in the Canadian province of Manitoba as fast-moving wildfires burn through parched forests, prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency and request military support.
The fires forced the complete evacuation of Flin Flon, a city near the Saskatchewan border, after winds shifted and pushed flames dangerously close to the community.
Manitoba premier Wab Kinew said at a press conference that 17,000 people needed to leave their homes. “The Manitoba government has declared a province-wide state of emergency due to the wildfire situation,” he said.
Flin Flon mayor George Fontaine said all of the almost 5,000 residents of the city of Flin Flon had been asked to move out.
“I can tell you everybody has to be out by midnight and that includes me,” Mr Fontaine said on Wednesday. “I’m busy packing a couple of things and everybody is getting as organised as we can.”
Many people were put up at soccer fields and community centres in Winnipeg and other cities, he said, and federal armed forces were arriving to help transport the evacuees.
“This is the largest evacuation in many Manitobans’ living memory and it will require significant resources and co-operation from all levels of government,” Mr Kinew said, adding that military support had been requested to assist with evacuations and emergency response.
Military aircraft would be deployed “imminently” to help move people out of endangered remote northern communities, he said.
“Pray for Flin Flon, pray for Pimicikamak, pray for Mathias Colomb, pray for Cross Lake, pray for everybody in Manitoba who’s out of their homes right now,” the premier said.
The evacuations extended into neighbouring Saskatchewan, with the town of Creighton across the border telling residents to leave.
By Thursday, Manitoba had reported more than 100 wildfires this year, already surpassing the province’s seasonal average. Officials said 22 fires were currently active, with hot, dry conditions fuelling their rapid spread.
In all, there are now 134 active fires across Canada, including in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. Half are considered out of control.
Creighton mayor Bruce Fidler said upwards of 1,200 residents had been told to leave town. He said wildfire officials had told him flames could move closer by Thursday and cut off road access.
“We declared a state of emergency and put out a mandatory evacuation so that we can get as many people out of the area as possible to be safe and before the roads become impassable,” Mr Fidler said.
Nearly 200,000 hectares of land have burned so far this year, triple the five-year annual average, according to provincial authorities.
“It was very smokey. You could see the fires four or five kilometres away and moving fast. The flames were shooting over 120 feet high,” Sheryl Matheson, a lodge owner from the small community of Sherridon who fled with her family, told AFP.
Residents across affected areas have been reporting poor air quality and limited visibility. Emergency shelters have been set up in nearby cities, with buses transporting residents from remote areas.
The scale and speed of the fires have alarmed fire management officials. While wildfires are a natural part of Canada’s boreal forest ecosystem, the increasing intensity and frequency in recent years have been linked to a changing climate.
Warmer temperatures, prolonged droughts, and increased lightning activity have all contributed to longer and more destructive fire seasons across the country.
Last year, Canada experienced its worst wildfire season on record, with over 18 million hectares burned and smoke drifting as far as Europe and the US. Scientists have warned that without urgent climate action, such extreme events will continue to escalate.
Officials in Manitoba said that while some fires were being brought under control, others remained too dangerous to fight directly. Air tankers and ground crews had been deployed, they said, but shifting winds had made containment efforts difficult.
There is no immediate forecast for significant rain in the area, meaning conditions could remain volatile in the days ahead.
