Fire in northwestern Ontario prompts evacuation order and alerts in Manitoba's Nopiming Provincial Park
People in parts of Nopiming Provincial Park remain on evacuation alert while cottagers in one subdivision have already been forced to leave.
The province said a wildfire burning in northwestern Ontario prompted the evacuation of cottages in the Davidson Lake subdivision near the Manitoba/Ontario border.
Meantime, people at Bird Lake, Flanders Lake and Booster Lake have been told to be ready to leave on short notice.
“So everybody’s taking it pretty seriously,” said Randy Hiebert, a cottage owner at Flanders Lake. “It’s really surreal. It’s not something that you would expect would happen in your own backyard.”
He’s one of several cottagers in Nopiming Provincial Park who got an evacuation alert Monday due to a wildfire in the area.
Photos of the previous family cottage that once sat on the same property, a key hanger made by his brother who recently died and a fur hat are among the items Hiebert packed up.
“You got so many memories, where do you start,” said Hiebert. “These are summer homes, these are winter homes, these are our vacation homes. Outside wherever you live, let’s say in Winnipeg, this is a good part of your life and you can’t just pack that up in short order.”
While Hiebert and his family haven’t been forced to leave yet, they decided to play it safe and prepare for the worst.
Cottagers and residents in Flanders Lake, Booster Lake and Bird Lake have all been told to be ready to leave on short notice.
“It’s really scary and that’s the bad part is we know how devastating this fire could be and how quickly it could spread,” Hiebert said.
People at Davidson Lake were ordered to evacuate by 4 p.m. Monday. Their cottages are closer to a fire burning in northwestern Ontario, which the province said is advancing towards the Manitoba border.
“Today the winds are good but it’s so big it keeps on moving towards the subdivision,” said Jeff Erwin, a structural protection specialist with the Manitoba Wildfire Service.
Crews went in to Davidson Lake with sprinklers to protect cottages and other structures but the only road in and out is now blocked off.
Over at Nopiming Lodge, owner Blaine Guenther is among those now on standby, told to be ready to leave his home and business at Bird Lake if the province expands the evacuation area.
“Keep your suitcase packed is what they’re saying,” said Guenther. “Problem is we live here, right. So we got all of our pictures and our discs and all that stuff, so we got a lot to pack if we have to move out.”
Backcountry camping is banned in Nopiming and fire restrictions remain in place.
Hiebert is hopeful him and his family will be able to return to their cottage when it’s safe and that it’ll be the way they left it when they do come back.
“The authorities are doing what they can but there’s Mother Nature and we just got to respect it and do our part and hope and pray that everything turns out for the best,” he said.
People front-country camping at Bird Lake and Tulabi Falls could also be ordered to leave but only if the evacuation area is expanded. Right now they’re allowed to stay. The province said campers will be notified if that changes.
There are currently 159 fires burning in the province. Nineteen of those are listed as out of control.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
South Korean sentenced to 14 months in jail for killing 76 cats
South Korean man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for killing 76 cats in one of the country's most gruesome cases of animal cruelty in recent years.