Smoke pushes full evacuation of Poplar River First Nation

A nearby forest fire has called for a full evacuation of a northern first nation in Manitoba.

Poplar River First Nation is a fly-in community, located to the east of the Lake Winnipeg’s northern basin.

The decision to carry out a full evacuation was made on Tuesday by the first nation’s leadership, due to smoke and the proximity of the fire, according to a spokesperson for the Canadian Red Cross, which is assisting with the evacuation.

Earlier this month, on Aug. 10 and 11, 285 residents with health concerns were already flown out, the spokesperson said.

By the end of Wednesday an additional 400 residents will be evacuated from the community.

The goal is to have everyone else out by Wednesday night, with the exception of a select number of people who will stay to support the fire response effort. In total, 750 evacuees will be in Winnipeg.

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  The decision to carry out a full evacuation was made on Tuesday by the first nation’s leadership, due to smoke and the proximity of the fire, according to a spokesperson for the Canadian Red Cross, which is assisting with the evacuation. (Source: April Swain)

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  In total, 600 evacuees will be in Winnipeg by Wednesday night, according the the Canadian Red Cross