‘Nobody wants to leave again’

A wildfire could force Lynn Lake to evacuate for the second time since late May, with the northwestern Manitoba town preparing for power and highway access to be cut off.

The Town of Lynn Lake said Thursday afternoon that a mandatory evacuation order could be declared if a power outage occurs.

“Wildfire activity may impact the main Manitoba Hydro transmission lines supplying power to Lynn Lake as early as (Friday),” the town wrote in a social media post.

“If this occurs, the community could experience a power outage anticipated to last at least one month while infrastructure is repaired.”

About 600 people live in Lynn Lake.

Residents who were able to leave on their own were told to do so as soon as possible because the town said one or more fires in the area could cross and cut off Provincial Road 391, which provides access to Thompson.

The Town of Leaf Rapids, about an hour’s drive to the southeast on PR 391, issued an evacuation alert Thursday afternoon because a mandatory order was increasingly likely, a separate social media post said.

Leaf Rapids had about 350 people as of the 2021 census.

Both towns told residents to pack bags with essential items, including government identification, food, water, clothing and phone chargers, and be prepared to leave on short notice.

The situation stemmed from lightning strikes that have caused dozens of new, predominantly small fires in northern Manitoba since June 27. More thunderstorms were expected Thursday.

The Town of Lynn Lake said hot, dry conditions and shifting winds were expected for two to three days, contributing to increased wildfire activity and the growing risk to critical infrastructure.

Without power, the town said it will be unable to maintain essential services such as water treatment, food refrigeration, communications and emergency supports.

“This would make it unsafe to remain in the community for an extended period,” the town said.

Lynn Lake is about 800 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

Buses were being arranged for residents who do not have transportation of their own. Evacuees will be offered hotel rooms in Winnipeg once an evacuation order is officially in place, the town said.

More than 900 residents of Lynn Lake and Marcel Colomb First Nation were forced to leave their homes May 27 and 28, respectively, due to an out-of-control blaze that was 80,120 hectares on Thursday.

Evacuation orders ended June 20, but residents were told to be prepared to leave again on short notice if conditions changed.

Lynn Lake resident Gerald Maniel, 44, said he and his parents would likely stay with relatives in Thompson. He did so during the previous evacuation, aside from three initial nights in a congregate shelter in Thompson.

“I’m packed and I’m ready to go,” he said by phone. “We’re kind of sitting here with our fingers crossed, hoping we don’t have to leave. I can tell you right now that everybody is feeling the same way — nobody wants to leave again.”

The Town of Lynn lake said multiple wildfires posed a risk to the region.

The 80,120-hectare blaze did not pose an immediate threat to Lynn Lake and was being closely monitored, the town said. That fire was first detected May 7 and caused by human activity, the province said.

The Town of Lynn Lake said a fire to the south of the community, near McVeigh, was expected to cross Provincial Road 396 Thursday. It could affect the main transmission line that powers Lynn Lake.

The out-of-control blaze, started by lightning and detected Monday, was 419 hectares, the province said.

Two fires south of Leaf Rapids could impact PR 391 by Friday or Saturday, and cut off travel between Lynn Lake and Thompson, the Town of Lynn Lake said.

Both fires were caused by lightning June 27, with one measuring 1,137 hectares and the other 793 hectares, as per the province.

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Lynn Lake residents were encouraged to empty their fridges and freezers, and throw out all garbage in case of a long-term power outage.

More than 22,000 Manitobans were forced to leave their homes due to wildfires at the peak last month. The figure dropped to about 6,500 last week.

Mandatory evacuation orders remained in place for Burge Lake Provincial Park, Mathias Colomb First Nation (Pukatawagan), the Mantario wilderness area, parts of Nopiming Provincial Park, Tataskweyak Cree Nation (Split Lake) and Wallace Lake Provincial Park as of Thursday morning, as per the province.

Mathias Colomb’s 2,200-plus residents are unable to return home because the isolated community is without power due to a 59,222-hectare wildfire that forced an evacuation May 28.

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.