Crews battle wildfire in Leaf Rapids; vacant structures damaged, province reports

An out-of-control wildfire damaged one home and about half a dozen vacant houses when it swept into Leaf Rapids, and forced firefighters to temporarily retreat to safety Wednesday night.

Despite the use of bucket-equipped helicopters and water bombers, the fire jumped the Churchill River and rapidly spread to the north side of the forested town, which was evacuated July 8.

“It escalated so quickly. By within an hour or two, there was just nothing that really could be done to reduce that fire activity,” Kristin Hayward, assistant deputy minister of the Manitoba Wildfire Service, told reporters Thursday.

Earlier in the day, ground crews noticed the fire — about 2,500 hectares in size — was “really picking up” and wind gusts were stronger than forecast.

Firefighting aircraft returned to base because thick smoke prevented aerial crews from seeing what was below them and what they were dropping water on.

“Around that same time, that’s when crews in the community started to experience ash and embers falling,” Hayward said. “Because of the thick smoke and intensity of that fire, they decided that they better retreat back for a little bit and see what was going to happen.”

It was unclear how many firefighters and other essential workers had to move to safety.

After returning about an hour later, fire crews worked overnight and into Thursday to put out hot spots in the town, about 975 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

Provincial and local crews started preparing weeks ago, by building fire guards, removing vegetation and setting up sprinklers, in case the fire moved close to the town.

“They had a good plan, but unfortunately the fire’s behaviour was very, very intense,” Hayward said. “Crews talked about how the fire was essentially creating its own weather, and there was all this additional wind and heat. The movement of the fire was just really, really rapid.”

Winds continued to pose a concern Thursday. Rain is in Friday’s forecast, which should help to stabilize the situation, Hayward said.

She said firefighters are feeding and looking after pets that Leaf Rapids residents were unable to take with them.

About 330 evacuees, many of whom are staying in Winnipeg hotels, are relying on social media or firefighters for updates.

Initially, a Facebook post by the Town of Leaf Rapids said firefighters had to “evacuate” Wednesday night. The province then clarified Thursday that essential workers left, and firefighters temporarily pulled back for their safety.

Leaf Rapids has been run by a provincially appointed administrator since 2019. The town has faced decline since a mine closed in 2002.

Blair McTavish, assistant deputy minister of Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure, said the province is working with Leaf Rapids’ administration to ensure it has timely and accurate information.

An information session for evacuees was scheduled Thursday night.

McTavish said he believes the town’s administration is running Leaf Rapids’ Facebook page.

Hayward said information about the situation may have “innocently” changed while being shared from person to person before being posted online.

“I think it was probably just a factor of the speed at which everything was happening, and kind of the mass chaos that was probably happening on the ground,” she said.

Way to Go Consulting Inc., the provincially appointed administrator, deferred comment to the government.

In a later post, the Town of Leaf Rapids said one normally occupied house on Utik Crescent was damaged. About five to seven vacant homes and some vehicles were also damaged, McTavish said.

Manitoba Hydro spokesman Peter Chura said power was out in Leaf Rapids as of 2 p.m. Thursday, likely due to fire damage to poles.

Provincial officials expressed concern about the fire Monday, when it was about two kilometres from Leaf Rapids.

The town said a new fire guard and a golf course appeared to prevent flames from rolling through the entire community.

The blaze, caused by lightning, was first detected July 11. It is one of about half a dozen fires in the area.

Manitoba is dealing with its worst wildfire season in at least 30 years; on Thursday, 124 fires were active. A provincewide state of emergency remains in effect.

About 28,500 Manitobans have been displaced for periods of days or weeks this season, as per a government estimate. The province said 13,280 evacuees were still out of their homes as of Wednesday. Some are in shelters in Winnipeg.

Officials are closely monitoring a 21,790-hectare fire that winds pushed to about 10 km west of Snow Lake, which is about 690 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. Sprinklers are set up to protect buildings.

“The community is ready to be defended should that fire make its way further toward town,” Hayward said.

About 1,000 residents were forced to leave July 10 for the second time this season. The fire, also caused by lightning, was detected July 1.

“We’re just sitting on the edge of our seats waiting to see what’s going to happen. I know (fire crews) are throwing everything they can at it,” Mayor Ron Scott, an evacuee, said by phone from The Pas.

Hayward said the fire made a “direct hit” Wednesday on the Lalor Mine site, where sprinklers and a quick response by fire crews helped limit damage. The mine is about 15 kilometres west of Snow Lake.

The province said the Lalor and Chisel Lake mines, which had limited personnel remaining, have been evacuated.

Hudbay proactively suspended operations July 10. A company spokesperson said the small group of essential workers who stayed behind is safe, and there appeared to be minimal damage.

The main front of the fire moved past the mine.

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Hayward said all containment lines are holding on a fire north of Thompson and a blaze near Garden Hill Anisininew Nation.

McTavish said evacuees from Tataskweyak Cree Nation (Split Lake) could begin returning this weekend.

The remaining closures in Nopiming Provincial Park will reopen to permanent residents, cottagers and commercial operators at 9 a.m. Friday thanks to suppression efforts, even though a fire in the park remains out of control, the province said.

Flames and smoke are expected to persist for the rest of the summer and fall. The province said crews will continue to monitor the blaze.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

Chris Kitching
Reporter

Chris Kitching is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He began his newspaper career in 2001, with stops in Winnipeg, Toronto and London, England, along the way. After returning to Winnipeg, he joined the Free Press in 2021, and now covers a little bit of everything for the newspaper. Read more about Chris.

Every piece of reporting Chris produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.