A Manitoba First Nation has declared a state of emergency and another has closed its airport mid-evacuation as wildfires continue to ravage communities in the province’s north.
Thousands of residents were stranded in Pukatawagan, also known as Mathias Colomb, after the nearby fire shut down its airport at around 6:30 p.m. CT Thursday, the First Nation’s chief said.
The airport closed as winds pushed smoke westward toward the airfield, Chief Gordie Bear said in a phone call with CBC News Thursday.
Bear said about 2,000 people remain in Pukatawagan, which is about 700 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. It’s among the northern Manitoba communities under an evacuation order since Wednesday, when the Manitoba government declared a provincewide state of emergency because of wildfires across the region.
“I hear … there’s choppers now, that smoke has engulfed the airport,” Bear said. He was on his way to The Pas from Winnipeg to meet evacuees who recently arrived there.
“We’re getting desperate now. It’s getting rougher. We’re going to be heading for the lake … shortly if nothing turns out, if nothing puts the flame out.”
The fire near the community was about 9,800 hectares in size and was out of control as of Manitoba’s latest update Thursday afternoon. The province’s wildfire map showed the blaze just over a kilometre away from the airport as of Wednesday.
Venessa Hart was still in Pukatawagan Thursday evening. She said the airport and surrounding areas were evacuated in case the fire spreads that way.
“The planes are not going to be able to land in this thick smoke,” she said, adding that the fire is also not too far from the community itself.
“How they’re going to get us out now?” Hart said.
“I’m scared. I’m really scared. My anxiety is through the roof. There’s still over 2,000 community members here, like especially women and children and babies, elders.”
Bear said about 200 residents were evacuated from the community before the closure Thursday as of the latest headcount.
Rashelle Colomb landed in Brandon Thursday evening. She said her partner is a medical van driver and will likely be one of the last Pukatawagan residents to leave.
“As we were flying over, you could just see the flames and how close it’s getting to the airport,” Colomb said.
“My daughter, when [she saw] the flames, she started crying, asking for her dad.… Hopefully everybody makes it out of there on time.”
State of emergency declared in Tataskweyak
Meanwhile, Tataskweyak Cree Nation, more than 300 kilometres east of Pukatawagan, said in a Facebook post at 6:20 p.m. CT it was declaring a state of emergency, with a fire only one kilometre away from the community, after it lost power just before 5:30 p.m.
The First Nation said in a Facebook post that power restoration may take a couple of days. Evacuation orders have been issued for children under the age of one, elders and health patients, the post said.
Chief Doreen Spence said the fire was about 200 hectares as of early Thursday evening. She said about 200 people out of about 2,400 residents had been evacuated from the community.
A stretch of Provincial Road 280 going from nearby Thompson to Gillam has been closed because of the fire in the area. Spence said the closure means some residents who were in Thompson for medical appointments or other reasons have also been barred from returning home.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen the next while,” she said. “We obviously need additional candles, flashlights. We need generators because a lot of people are worried about their food spoiling.”
Jenpeg evacuation won’t affect customers: Hydro
Manitoba Hydro said Thursday afternoon it’s also monitoring conditions at the Jenpeg generating station, which is about two kilometres south of the wildfire that has forced the evacuation of Pimicikamak Cree Nation, also known as Cross Lake.
That fire was about 3,920 hectares as of the latest fire bulletin.
WATCH l Aerial view of Pimicikamak fire:
Pimicikamak Cree Nation Chief David Monias posted this video, taken from a helicopter flying above the community, on Facebook Thursday. It shows the wildfires filling the sky with smoke around the community. There is no sound on the video.
The utility said Jenpeg was under maintenance and not generating electricity, so the wildfires and the evacuation of Hydro employees won’t impact customers.
Hydro said there are were other outages. likely fire-related, in Lynn Lake and Sherridon, with fire and smoke conditions preventing crews from assessing the damage. Both communities are also under evacuation orders.
Manitoba imposing travel restrictions
Meanwhile, the Manitoba government is imposing travel restrictions across the province, saying in its latest fire bulletin human activity continues to “significantly contribute” to the wildfires.
Hiking trails and water routes in all of the province’s 22 burn permit areas will be closed as of 8 a.m. Friday.
Watercraft will be restricted to landing and launching at developed shorelines only, and camping will also be restricted to developed campgrounds.
All burn permits are cancelled, though burning exceptions for industry and agricultural purposes may be made with inspection from an officer. Conservation officers are also able to issue travel permits for non-designated or unrecognized road travel if it’s required for industrial operations, based on fire hazard conditions.
Are you an evacuee who needs assistance? Contact Manitoba 211 by calling 211 from anywhere in Manitoba or email 211mb@findhelp.ca.
