Residents forced out of Cranberry Portage after wildfires knock out power, close highway, ruin air quality

Hundreds of people are being forced out of their homes in the northwestern Manitoba community of Cranberry Portage after a wildfire knocked out power overnight. 

The entire population of Cranberry Portage was asked to evacuate by 3 p.m. on Saturday and go to Winnipeg, said Lori Forbes, the municipal emergency co-ordinator for the Rural Municipality of Kelsey, which includes the community. 

Cranberry Portage, about 600 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, was put under a voluntary evacuation order earlier this week after supplies and gas started to run out. Wildfires also closed down a stretch of Highway 10 — the main access route for the community. 

Cranberry Portage, Man., under mandatory evacuation order

4 days ago

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Hundreds of people are being forced to evacuate the northwestern Manitoba community of Cranberry Portage, near Flin Flon, after a wildfire knocked out power overnight, closed a stretch of highway and worsened air quality. Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/1.7549126

The situation worsened after several hydro poles were burned, leaving the community without power on Friday. Forbes said the longer the electricity is out the greater the risk operations at the water treatment and sewage plants might be compromised. 

"The decision is made based on general services human beings need to be healthy," she said.

Manitoba Hydro said the extent of damage to power infrastructure is unknown at this time. The R.M. of Kelsey said the community might be without electricity for several days. 

At least 430 people are believed have been in Cranberry Portage, Forbes said, but the number can be as high as 600 given there's a number of cottagers and seasonal visitors this time of the year. 

Before the mandatory evacuation was declared, Forbes said, 87 people who left from their homes had registered with the R.M.

Evacuees from Cranberry Portage were asked to make their way out using Highways 39 and 6 to Winnipeg's Billy Mosienko Arena at 709 Keewatin Street. 

"We need people to get up and move, to be safe and out of the dangers up here right now," Forbes said earlier Saturday. 

'Ashes were coming down like snow'

Peter Thibodeau had been preparing for the mandatory evacuation. His bags were packed and the water tank in his house was almost emptied out. 

While the order didn't come as a surprise, Thibodeau said being forced out of Cranberry Portage is still stressful for the community. 

"Not knowing is hard on a person," Thibodeau said. "It is on the back of your head."

A wildfire encroaching on the community last year devoured trees on thousands of hectares of land before forcing the evacuation of all residents. 

So far this season, the wildfires have directly spread toward Cranberry Portage. Thibodeau said power has been unstable, visibility is limited and the air quality has deteriorated. 

"It was pretty scary looking here last night. Ashes were coming down like snow and they took a little ride around town," he said. "I haven't seen anything like it before, but [I] can't panic."

The heavy plumes of smoke choking Cranberry Portage were among the considerations for the evacuation, Forbes said. 

The smoke is billowing from an out-of-control wildfire about 35 kilometres northwest Cranberry Portage that prompted the mandatory evacuation of Flin Flon earlier this week, forcing its roughly 5,000 residents from their homes.

The blaze was 40,000 hectares in size and less than 400 metres from the edge of the city by Friday. No structural damage had been reported by Saturday morning, the city said in social media update.

Are you an evacuee who needs assistance? Contact Manitoba 211 by calling 211 from anywhere in Manitoba or email 211mb@findhelp.ca.