Homes, cottages near Flin Flon evacuated as wildfire grows 'significantly' overnight

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An out-of-control wildfire in northern Manitoba has forced an evacuation of some homes and cottages in the area, the province said Saturday.

Crews are battling a fire north of Flin Flon that "has grown significantly," the province said in its third fire bulletin of the season, covering about 3,000 hectares (more than 7,400 acres) by Saturday afternoon.

The province issued an evacuation order to a number of homes and cottages in the area, and is warning others nearby to be prepared to leave.

"There's a residential area here that's not very far away from from what's going on and if the winds decide to go in a different direction, it's going to be extremely, well, catastrophic," Flin Flon Mayor George Fontaine told CBC News Saturday. 

Fontaine said he could see some smoke in the distance from Flin Flon Saturday afternoon, but it appeared much closer than it actually was on Friday.

"It looked like it was right here. It looked like it was right at us and it was very frightening," he said.

Tinder dry conditions

Flin Flon resident Randy Whitbread has lived there for 72 years and is concerned for everyone in the area, he said. Whitbread said the whole province is so dry right now, which is scary, and he also worries about what will happen if the winds change.

The Manitoba Wildfire Service, the office of the fire commissioner, the Emergency Management Organization and the Manitoba Fire Service are currently responding to the fire, the province said.

"There is extreme fire behaviour in the area due to drought conditions and high winds," the bulletin says.

• Track wildfire smoke, active fires and air quality across Canada

Sprinklers have been set up near structures in the area. Air tankers from Saskatchewan are also helping with suppression efforts, and 10 crews from Ontario are set to arrive early next week, the province said.

"I'd like to see whatever planes they have flying over on a steady barrage on that thing," said Fontaine. 

Officials also closed off Sourdough Bay Road, east of Flin Flon, and evacuated the area around Sourdough Bay. 

 "I know that all of them were evacuated, but I don't know what the number is," said Fontaine.

Crews are also working on putting out another wildfire more than 100 hectares in size that's burning near Wanless, a hamlet north of The Pas. Drivers should expect reduced visibility on Highway 10, the province says.

Saturday's update comes after a Friday evening fire bulletin where the province urged residents, particularly those in The Pas and Flin Flon, to use extreme caution in forested areas, with warm weather and drought conditions set to continue in parts of Manitoba.

Several wildfires started in northwestern Manitoba recently due to a system of dry lightning, or lightning with no rain, the province said in Friday's bulletin.

The City of Flin Flon issued a fire ban on Friday. 

Everyone should be concerned, says mayor

Fontaine also said he's worried about the fire spreading to Flin Flon. 

"We don't have any kind of a buffer between us and there," said Fontaine.

"The only thing between ... our residential area and the bush is a highway and that's not going to stop a fire," he said. So am I concerned? Everybody should be."

Meanwhile, wildfires that have started in the eastern region of Manitoba to date this season were caused by human activity, Friday's bulletin said. Most of those fires are now out, according to a provincial fire map.

The province is reminding people to follow fire prevention measures.

That includes monitoring campfires, not burning in windy conditions and making sure campfires are extinguished completely before leaving a site, the province says.