Two found dead in Lac du Bonnet wildfire area

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Two bodies — believed to be those of a man and a woman — were recovered from a wildfire-hit area northeast of Lac du Bonnet on Wednesday after people became trapped by flames a day earlier.

RCMP Supt. Chris Hastie said the bodies were found just off Wendigo Road when it became safe to search the area.

“It is believed they succumbed to injuries sustained in the wildfire,” Hastie said at an afternoon news conference.

RCMP were aware two people were trapped by the fast-moving fire Tuesday, but extreme conditions prevented emergency personnel from reaching them.

“At the time, wildfire conditions were deplorable, and it did not provide any mechanism or any means for the police — or any first responder, for that matter — to access the site,” Hastie, commander of Manitoba RCMP’s east district, said.

Officers’ “worst fears” were confirmed when they visited the location at about 9:15 a.m. Wednesday.

“This is a truly tragic event,” Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet Reeve Loren Schinkel said. “I want to say that we’re a very close-knit community here, and certainly the family, friends and loved ones that have been affected by this have our profound sympathies at this news.”

A mandatory evacuation order was issued to homes on Wendigo while the blaze spread amid hot, dry and windy conditions.

Hastie said RCMP had no additional reports of people being unaccounted for. Police still have three checkpoints along Highway 313 to ensure only emergency vehicles are allowed into the active fire zone.

As many as 1,000 people have been evacuated near Lac du Bonnet as a raging wildfire tears through the area. Schinkel told the Free Press on Wednesday morning that Tuesday was a dark day for residents.

“There are some truly horrific stories that I’ve heard, people being surrounded by flames,” Schinkel said.

There have been significant building losses in the Wendigo Beach area.

Kristin Hayward, the assistant deputy minister responsible for the Manitoba Wildfire Service, said at a news conference Wednesday that the “predominant concern” among the fires is the one near Lac du Bonnet, which is still considered out of control.

Crews are also actively fighting a large fire near Bird River, which was last mapped at nearly 250,000 acres. That fire is also considered out of control.

“We have hot, hot weather right now. We have dry conditions. We have had some very windy days, and we expect that to continue today as well as into tomorrow,” Hayward said, adding any forecast precipitation would not be anywhere near enough to extinguish the fires.

“So, we are going to be having another challenging day in terms of being able to fight these fires that we currently have and address any new fires that may start,” she said.

Whiteshell Provincial Park will be closing Thursday morning, the province also announced Wednesday.

The Manitoba Wildfire Service made an “urgent request” that people not fly drones into fire areas after water bombers battling the blaze near Lac du Bonnet had to be grounded because of a drone flying in the area.

A provincial spokesperson said, “It’s not safe for our planes to be in the air with a drone in the area.”

In January, a drone crashed into a water bomber from Quebec that was fighting a wildfire in Los Angeles. The plane was grounded and removed from the firefight because of the damage it sustained.

The RM of Lac du Bonnet extended its evacuation order for a seventh time Tuesday night as winds shifted in the area. Those orders were modified several times Tuesday.

Despite cooler temperatures forecast over the next few days, Schinkel said his community is still at risk. Winds have shifted again from the north, threatening to push the fire back across Highway 313.

“It’s helped us maintain some lines on the northern end, so we’re hopeful there,” he said. “It’s a better day today. It’s cooler out. And we’re hopeful we’re getting some moisture in the next couple of days.”

Schinkel said homeowners will not be allowed to return to their homes until damage assessments can be made and hydro lines restored. He did not have a timeline on when that is expected to happen.

“We understand our residents are anxious, but we simply cannot let anyone back into the area until we get the fire under control,” he said.

Schinkel said he was grateful for the efforts of numerous emergency crews, volunteers, businesses and residents outside of the evacuation zone helping to fight the fires, deliver food and supplies, or open their doors to strangers in need.

He said there were four water bombers and a helicopter battling the blaze until dark Tuesday night.

“I can’t thank them enough on behalf of our residents,” Schinkel said. “It’s truly remarkable.”

Evacuation orders are in place for the following areas:

• Wendigo Road from Highway 313 to Byman Road (this area includes Gauer Road, Harborview, White Spruce on the Lake, and all other homes east and west of Wendigo)
• Highway 433 north of Lagsdin Way (including all of the subdivisions of Granite Hills and Cape Coppermine)
• Highway 433 from Lagsdin Way to Provincial Road Highway 313
• Highway 313 from Highway 433 to the RM of Alexander (the north and west sides of Highway 313 to the Alexander boundary line)
• All subdivisions south of Highway 313 off Urban Road, Belluk Road, Lee Dale Estates, Bonnet Oaks South

All residents are ordered to leave immediately and go to the Lac du Bonnet Community Centre for registration and more information, the RM of Lac du Bonnet’s website stated. Pet care is available there for owners who need it.

People are being asked to steer clear of the area to allow emergency crews to do their work.

Manitoba Hydro said late Wednesday morning that it would soon be evacuating its remaining employees from the Pointe du Bois and Slave Falls generating stations on the Winnipeg River as wildfires threaten to cut off road access.

Most employees at the facilities were evacuated earlier this week. About half a dozen staff members remained Wednesday morning.

“Both stations will be left in a safe state, with the generating units shut down and water passing through the spillways,” a news release said.

The shutdown will result in the loss of about 70 megawatts of generating capacity, but that will not affect service to customers, the public utility said.

Crews are also working to “de-energize” power lines in the wildfire area to reduce the risk for firefighters.

The fire has damaged Hydro poles, lines and other equipment. Manitoba Hydro said it won’t know the extent of damage until it can safely access the areas.

As of Wednesday morning, about 200 customers were without power in the Wendigo Beach area at Lac du Bonnet, along with 300 in the Bird Lake and Booster Lake areas, about 900 on the west side of the Lee River, and about 100 customers in the Beresford Lake area. It’s not clear when power can be restored in those areas.

Premier Wab Kinew and Ontario Premier Doug Ford discussed wildfires that were burning on both sides of the provincial border before speaking to reporters at an unrelated news conference in Toronto on Wednesday morning.

One of the biggest fires is burning along the boundary.

Kinew thanked Ford after Ontario provided a water bomber to help battle “a very serious fire situation” in eastern Manitoba.

“My thoughts are with all the folks affected, and my sincere thanks go out to those on the front lines who are risking their lives,” Kinew said.

He saluted members of the Manitoba Wildfire Service, local fire departments, the Office of the Fire Commissioner and crews from British Columba and Ontario who have battled fires across the province.

“When you see people heading towards danger at a time when property, life, livelihoods are put at risk, we’ve got to say thanks,” Kinew said.

— with files from Adam Treusch

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca

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