Two remote Manitoba communities are being evacuated due to a wildfire burning along the Manitoba-Ontario border northeast of Winnipeg.
According to Manitoba Sustainable Development, a 20,000 hectare fire is burning near Little Grand Rapids, a fly-in community, prompting an initial evacuation Tuesday afternoon of around 60 people due to heavy smoke.
In its latest fire bulletin, the province said work is underway to help an additional 800 residents, currently staying at Little Grand Rapids School, leave the community but heavy smoke has hampered evacuation efforts.
Some Little Grand Rapids residents arrived at St. Andrews airport Wednesday morning.
Nikki Owen, Isaiah Leveque and their four children waited at a lakeside dock for their flight out on a float plane with five other community members because it’s too smoky for planes to land at the airport.
“It’s kind of stressful and worrying, but we’re just glad that we’re okay, that we got out,” said Owen. “We just hope everybody else is okay and everybody gets out safe, too.”
Federal help for a challenging evacuation
The Canadian Red Cross said smaller planes are moving as many people out of the community as quickly as possible.
"There's smoke, they can see flames from afar and unfortunately we just can't get in to get them out of the community as fast as they would like it,” said Shawn Feely with the Canadian Red Cross. “We are getting people out of Little Grand Rapids as we speak."
The Canadian Armed Forces is also involved.
A spokesperson for 1 Canadian Air Division said a Chinook helicopter (pictured in supplied photo above) has been called in to help with the evacuation. The helicopter seats 30 people and is transporting evacuees to Red Lake, Ont. From there, residents are being flown into Winnipeg on a Hercules aircraft.
Little Grand Rapids band councillor Clinton Keeper said rescue crews are making progress.
“They’re (the Chinook) supposed to do three extractions,” said Keeper, adding once in Winnipeg, evacuees are being directed to a local hotel. “Right now we’re just telling people to check in. They’ve been through a lot all night.”
“We’re just telling everyone to relax and take care of themselves.”
In a statement released by a spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale Wednesday evening, the federal government said a total of 1400 people from the two communities are expected to be flown out with 600 expected to be moved out by the end of Wednesday.
The evacuation will continue on Thursday.
The federal government said Little Grand Rapids First Nation contacted Indigenous Services Canada about the fire on 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and a state of emergency was declared two hours later when a full evacuation of the community was initiated.
“All essential supports and services will be provided to evacuees at emergency shelters, and this includes mental health supports,” the statement reads.
Reports of lost homes
The province said there are reports some homes have been lost in the fire but an exact number has not been confirmed.
An evacuation of Pauingassi First Nation has also been ordered as the same fire has moved to within about five kilometres of that community.
An aviation company based in St. Andrews, Man. is helping with the evacuation of Little Grand Rapids.
Oliver Owen, owner and pilot with Amik Aviation, made two trips to the community with a float plane on Wednesday morning and was heading back for a third over the noon hour.
He said the situation is urgent.
“You can’t even see the community from the air, only a little part of it at the south end where I’m landing,” said Oliver. “You can see some of the houses and that’s where some of the houses have burned, too.”
Oliver’s son Terrence Owen, operations manager of Amik Aviation, said only float planes are able to access the community of Little Grand Rapids.
He said they’re only able to fly out nine people per trip.
“We can’t land at the airport because of the smoke,” said Terrence. “We’re taking women and children first.”
Hilda Leveque and her husband Howard were among the first wave of evacuees on Tuesday to arrive in Winnipeg.
Hilda said her two sons and their families who remained in the community headed to a nearby lake to escape the fire.
“They managed to sleep inside the boat,” said Hilda. “There’s a cabin there but they were too worried about the fire around them.”
“It’s that bad. I felt very emotional when I left. I’m concerned, I’m worried about them.”
Her two sons are staying behind to help fight the fires but their wives and children were able to catch a flight to Winnipeg on Wednesday.
Firefight continues
Fires that led to the evacuation of Sapotaweyak Cree Nation are being held, the province said.
It said warm temperatures and strong winds remain a challenge in fighting wildfires and reminds residents of fire and travel restrictions in place:
