The Wildfire Program of Manitoba Sustainable Development advises that while weather conditions have improved, there was little rain in the eastern region over the last 24 hours. South winds are expected to continue to affect fire suppression efforts.
Eastern Region
The wildfire northeast of Caddy Lake on the Manitoba/Ontario border has increased to approximately 5,800 hectares (ha). High winds caused the fire to grow to the north yesterday. Ontario continues to lead operations to control this fire.
Late yesterday afternoon, the Minnesota government provided air support to protect hydro lines near Kenora. Two BAE-146 jets from Bemidji made two flights each to drop fire retardant. Each plane carries 3,000 gallons of fire retardant per drop. Rail lines in the area were protected by fire and railway crews.
The east shore of Caddy Lake in the Whiteshell Provincial Park is closed until further notice and evacuation orders remain in effect.
PR 312 remains closed.
The Beresford Lake fire has increased to approximately 73,000 ha. Sprinkler protection continues on cabins in the area and water bombers are being used to hold fire lines. Breaks in the weather are expected to support fire crews today.
Fire came within one kilometre of the south-east corner of Wallace Lake. Sprinklers have been installed on remote cottages at Craven and Carroll lakes.
An evacuation order remains in effect for Wallace Lake, which affects 61 cottages and one lodge. Officials are monitoring conditions at Long Lake closely.
The mandatory evacuation of the Beresford cottage subdivision in the Nopiming Provincial Park continues. The Beresford and Wallace lake campgrounds are closed until wildfire conditions improve.
A water bomber group, including two CL-215 aircraft and one bird dog aircraft, from the Northwest Territories has joined the Manitoba suppression efforts.
Approximately 100 officials are working to protect cabins and property in the areas. Only minor damage to a small number of sheds has been reported at this time.
Local authorities are leading the response to support Manitoba evacuees in the region. There are a total of 38 evacuees from Manitoba cottages. All evacuees have been contacted this morning to make sure they have the most up-to-date information.
An open house for residents affected by the Caddy Lake fire will be scheduled at the local community centre. Details will be provided in the near future.
Manitoba Sustainable Development, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, the Southeast Whiteshell Fire Department and the Manitoba Office of the Fire Commissioner continue co-operative suppression efforts on these border area wildfires.
Two new fires were reported at Little Grand Rapids yesterday. One was 1.5 ha, the other is 0.5 ha. Water bombers have been supporting fire crews and there were no issues containing these fires.
Travel restrictions remain in place in eastern Manitoba including the Mars Hill Wildlife Management area. Motorized back country travel is prohibited between the hours of noon to 7 p.m. in these areas. Any travel outside of these set times must be under the authority of a travel permit issued by a conservation officer.
In the Whiteshell Provincial Park, the Hunt Lake, Mantario and McGillivray Falls hiking trails are closed until wildfire conditions improve.
All burning permits are cancelled and no new permits will be issued for eastern and central Manitoba until conditions improve. The affected areas are from the United States border on the south, through the Interlake to Gypsumville and Berens River in the north and east to the Ontario border.
Air Quality and Health Effects of Smoke
Smoke levels from forest fires may vary considerably due to fire conditions and wind directions.
Check local weather forecast for smoke conditions including any public alerts about smoke or poor air quality in local areas. Those in the Brandon or Winnipeg areas can check the local Air Quality Health Index at www.ec.gc.ca/cas-aqhi/ for updates on air quality conditions.
For information about the health effects of smoke, talk to health-care providers or call Health Links-Info Santé at 204-788-8200 or (toll-free) 1-888-315-9257 or online.
Additional Information
In Manitoba, a total of 58 wildfires have been recorded to date. The average for this date is 81.
Open fires (fires outside of an approved firepit) are prohibited. In most provincial parks, fires are permitted in approved firepits. In the Birds Hill Provincial Park, campfires will only be allowed in the approved firepits between the hours of 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
For further general information on the fire status, maps, travel restrictions, burning permit cancellations or other restrictions go to www.gov.mb.ca/wildfire.
For additional information on restrictions in eastern Manitoba, contact the eastern region office at 204-345-1444. For information on restrictions in Ontario, call 1-807-548-1919.
To report a wildfire, call 911 or the T.I.P. line (toll-free) at 1-800-782-0076. The T.I.P. line is dedicated for reporting fires only. All other inquiries should be directed to the other phone lines noted above.
