One of several wildfires burning near a pair of northern Manitoba communities destroyed buildings in a bible camp, the province said Thursday.
The Marcel Colomb First Nation in northern Manitoba was evacuated Wednesday as wildfires inched closer to the community.
A spokesperson from the Red Cross said residents were taken to Thompson where the Red Cross arranged for their hotel accommodations and provided food.
Others from the community left for Lynn Lake and Leaf Rapids on their own, it said.
Fire leaves community in the dark
A spokesperson for the province said as of Wednesday evening, 11 fires were burning in the region near Marcel Colomb and Lynn Lake, four of which were burning close to the communities.
It said one fire, burning around four kilometres north of Lynn Lake on the east shore of Berge Lake, is estimated to cover 50 hectares. That’s where the bible camp structures were damaged.
The province said the community of Black Sturgeon Lake, east of Lynn Lake, lost power when a wildfire that crossed Provincial Road 391 took down seven hydro poles.
The aftermath of Berge Lake bible camp. (Source: Hazel Perepeluk)
Wildfire crews with the Manitoba Wildfire Program are working on the fires.
The Red Cross estimated 150 people from the First Nation were bussed to Thompson.
Marcel Colomb First Nation is about six hours northwest of Thompson.
The aftermath of Berge Lake bible camp. (Source: Hazel Perepeluk)
