Northern Manitoba First Nations to evacuate thousands over wildfire threat

Thousands of First Nations people living in northern Manitoba were being evacuated on Wednesday as the provincial government declared a state of emergency due to fast-spreading wildfires and extreme fire conditions in that region, and elsewhere in the province.

People living in the First Nations of Pimicikimak Cree Nation, Pukatawagan (also known as Mathias Colomb Cree Nation) and Marcel Colomb First Nation, along with the community of Sherridon, were all placed under an emergency evacuation order, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, an advocacy group that represents 26 northern Manitoba First Nations, said in a Wednesday news release. 

Two other First Nations — Norway House First Nation and Easterville/Chemawawin Cree Nation — were put under an evacuation notice and told to prepare in case they had to leave. 

Earlier Wednesday, the northern Manitoba city of Flin Flon also issued an evacuation order telling all 5,000 of its citizens to leave. On Tuesday, residents were told to begin preparing go bags and register with city officials.

And on Tuesday morning, the Town of Lynn Lake ordered its residents to immediately evacuate due to a rapidly advancing wildfire.

• Low on power or data? Use CBC Lite for the latest wildfire news

During a Wednesday evening news conference regarding the emergency declaration, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said 17,000 people will be evacuated from the northern and eastern regions of the province most affected by wildfires.

"This is the largest evacuation Manitoba will have seen in most people's living memory," Kinew said. 

The state of emergency will last for at least 30 days, the province said. 

MKO said the airport at Pimicikamak, which began evacuating its most high-risk residents over the weekend, cannot be used due to fire threat in the area. Fire has isolated the community, about 530 kilometres north of Winnipeg on the shores of Cross Lake, as it attempts to evacuate thousands of citizens, MKO said Wednesday.  

In a livestream Wednesday, Pimicikamak Chief David Monias declared the full evacuation order, telling residents to head south to Norway House Cree Nation.

Norway House is under an evacuation notice, but had not yet issued an evacuation order as of Wednesday night.

"If you have a vehicle, start leaving now," Monias said. "If you have room for people, your neighbours or your friends, then start taking them as well."

Norway House Chief Larson Anderson said the First Nation has sent more than a dozen buses to Pimicikamak and 500 evacuees have already been registered as of Wednesday night. 

In total, the community expects to welcome more than 1,200 evacuees from Pimicikamak. 

"We're First Nations people and that's our culture," Anderson said.  

"If we don't have each other, we don't have anyone. So we make sure to help each other out," he said. 

Chief Clarence Easter of Chemawawin Cree Nation said more than 450 people were evacuated from the community Monday night, as smoke overtook the northern part of the community. 

The First Nation has declared a state of emergency but is not under a full evacuation order as of Wednesday night.

Pukatawagan, about 700 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, has also been cut off from its airport, while trains are no longer operating over unsafe fire conditions. 

MKO Grand Chief Garrison Settee said some early evacuees have already been sent to Winnipeg, Brandon and Thompson. 

The evacuations are a  "massive undertaking," Settee said, but he said he was glad to see federal, provincial and municipal governments working alongside First Nations leaders to get citizens to safety.  

"The First Nations are not alone in this fight," he said on Wednesday outside the legislature building in Winnipeg. 

Settee said Kinew and the provincial government have stepped up, and are showing emergency officials on the ground that "the premier is behind them."

"I remain optimistic that we will be able to contain these fires, put out these fires and that our people can go home when it's safe," he said.