Manitoba has released its first wildfire bulletin; here is what you need to know
The danger of wildfires in southern Manitoba is low to moderate even though municipalities have started to see some fires spark, including in Winnipeg.
The province's wildfire service released its first fire bulletin of the season Wednesday afternoon. According to the bulletin, the risk of wildfires is even lower in northern Manitoba as some areas are still snow-covered.
"Municipalities and the Manitoba Wildfire Service are starting to see some fires across the south and central regions, but at this point, they have been human-caused," the bulletin reads.
Winnipeg has already seen a few wildland fires in and around the Perimeter Highway, including a grass fire over the weekend that grew to the size of two football fields.
Terri Lang, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, told CTV News the snow has melted and nothing has greened up yet – perfect conditions for a wildfire.
"Everything is really, really dry," Lang said. "When we have the winds around, it just fuels the fires and you are off to the races with those grass fires."
She said wind gusts have been measured by ECCC weather stations as high as 50 km/h to 60 km/h.
This has prompted a warning from the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) that there could be more wildland and grass fires in the coming weeks.
"Right now we do have a lot of dry conditions and it will spread quickly if people don't take care," said Scott Wilkinson, assistant chief with the WFPS.
READ MORE: Winnipeg issues warning following grass fire near the Perimeter
The province said in its fire bulletin there are no restrictions in place at the moment.
According to the Manitoba wildfire map, only one fire is burning in the province as of Tuesday. The fire, about 100 hectares in size, was reported near Blacks Point close to Hecla Island and was declared under control as of Tuesday.
No other fires are burning according to the province. To help keep it that way, fire prevention officials were out doing a prescribed burn in Beaudry Provincial Park.
"That's where we go in and we burn an area of property. It helps with the ecosystem, it helps with all different types of things for nature, etcetera, but it also helps to mitigate and lessen the risk of fire in that area," said Cailin Hodder, with the province's wildfire service.
The province reminds Manitobans that burning permits are needed each year for outdoor fires inside the Burn Permit Area from Apr. 1 to Nov. 15.
More information can be found online about the current wildfire conditions and restrictions in Manitoba.
-With files from CTV's Jon Hendricks
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Donald Trump picks former U.S. congressman Pete Hoekstra as ambassador to Canada
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has nominated former diplomat and U.S. congressman Pete Hoekstra to be the American ambassador to Canada.
Genetic evidence backs up COVID-19 origin theory that pandemic started in seafood market
A group of researchers say they have more evidence to suggest the COVID-19 pandemic started in a Chinese seafood market where it spread from infected animals to humans. The evidence is laid out in a recent study published in Cell, a scientific journal, nearly five years after the first known COVID-19 outbreak.
This is how much money you need to make to buy a house in Canada's largest cities
The average salary needed to buy a home keeps inching down in cities across Canada, according to the latest data.
'My two daughters were sleeping': London Ont. family in shock after their home riddled with gunfire
A London father and son they’re shocked and confused after their home was riddled with bullets while young children were sleeping inside.
Smuggler arrested with 300 tarantulas strapped to his body
Police in Peru have arrested a man caught trying to leave the country with 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes and nine bullet ants strapped to his body.
Boissonnault out of cabinet to 'focus on clearing the allegations,' Trudeau announces
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced embattled minister Randy Boissonnault is out of cabinet.
Baby dies after being reported missing in midtown Toronto: police
A four-month-old baby is dead after what Toronto police are calling a “suspicious incident” at a Toronto Community Housing building in the city’s midtown area on Wednesday afternoon.
Sask. woman who refused to provide breath sample did not break the law, court finds
A Saskatchewan woman who refused to provide a breath sample after being stopped by police in Regina did not break the law – as the officer's request was deemed not lawful given the circumstances.
Parole board reverses decision and will allow families of Paul Bernardo's victims to attend upcoming parole hearing in person
The families of the victims of Paul Bernardo will be allowed to attend the serial killer’s upcoming parole hearing in person, the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) says.