Lynn Lake wildfire burns derelict buildings, spurs firefighters from southern Manitoba to help
Natural resources minister says all major infrastructure reported safe in northern town threatened by blaze
A wildfire burning out of control in northern Manitoba has destroyed some abandoned buildings and spurred the fire chief of a community on the other side of the province to send firefighters from his team to help.
The human-caused fire near Lynn Lake was first detected on May 7, and has since spread to a size of approximately 50,000 hectares in and around the northern Manitoba town, the province's FireView map says.
Ian Bushie, minister of natural resources and Indigenous futures, said in the Manitoba Legislature on Monday that the blaze was "very active" on Sunday. While some "abandoned, derelict structures" were lost, Bushie said "all major infrastructure is reported to be safe."
Manitoba RCMP said in a Monday news release that evacuations in Lynn Lake have been completed.
Evacuee Darcy Cook said as far as he knows, the house where he lives in Lynn Lake is still standing — but he's worried, like everyone else around him.
"I'm hoping it will still be standing when I get home, if I ever make it home," Cook said outside the evacuation centre in the northern city of Thompson on Monday. "What I've worked for, it's all in there, for my children. And if they lose [that] … we can't do anything about it."
Belinda Merasty, a crisis team member for the nearby Marcel Colomb First Nation, said her community is safe from the fire so far.
"It's scary to know … that the fire was right in our community. This is a place where I raised my children," Merasty said outside the Thompson evacuation centre. "But we're doing our best to work with our people here, to make sure that they're OK."
An update from the Town of Lynn Lake posted Monday said the wildfire reached the edge of town behind the airport Sunday and advanced rapidly because of extreme wind. While it destroyed several buildings in the area, the hospital and surrounding properties were protected.
The update said while a light rain is helping slow the fire's movement and more precipitation is forecast later in the week, the fire "remains active and unpredictable."
More firefighters travelling to help
But not everyone is heading out of the community. Brian Seaton, fire chief for the rural municipality of Springfield just outside Winnipeg, said five firefighters from his roughly 75-member service were on their way Monday to help battle the blaze near Lynn Lake.
"We're in a good spot, especially with the rain that we just finished having," said Seaton. "If I could have the power and control to move it somewhere else, I wish I could — but it's devastating for the amount of destruction [that] has happened in the province."
He said the firefighters are travelling with gear for fighting both wildland and structural fires in the area.
"They're going to be put to work right away, going to be working really hard. And then they're going to be up there for at least three to five [days]. And then they'll rotate them out and see if they can get somebody else to come up and assist," Seaton said.
"They're fantastic people. They're doing a great [thing] for the community, and they're also looking out for other communities as well."
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Fires burning across Manitoba
Bushie said in the Legislature on Monday that while there is rain in the forecast for Manitoba, "the province continues to experience extreme wildfire danger."
He also provided updates on a number of other fires burning across Manitoba, including one in the northern Split Lake area, where Bushie said control lines flared up but the fire did not get into the community, and another near Manitoba Hydro's Jenpeg Generating Station, where he said there were flare-ups due to wind.
Bushie said a new fire in Grand Rapids was also reported on Sunday, though he added the winds are favourable, and said the fire in the northwest Pukatawagan area is being held east of the community.
In the northwest Sherridon region, the fire is close to the community "but good work is being done to protect" it, and the defence is holding on the fires near the northwest communities of Flin Flon and Wanless.
Meanwhile, Bushie added the fire near Nopiming Provincial Park in eastern Manitoba has crossed Provincial Road 304 near Wallace Lake and Bissett, but control lines are being established to better protect Bissett.
"As we can see, the efforts to defend against these fires [are] enormous. It's incredibly reassuring to see one Manitoba coming together to get us through this," Bushie said, adding "fresh legs are joining the fight" from British Columbia, Quebec and the U.S.
He said he is "incredibly grateful" for the help.
"The situation in Manitoba continues to be challenging but we are seeing the all-encompassing response coming together from businesses, community leadership and organizations from across the province and beyond," Bushie said.
The province said Monday the Manitoba Wildfire Service continues to respond to 25 active wildfires, with a total of 109 wildfires this year — well above the average for this time of year of 86 total fires.
With files from Alana Cole and Sanuda Ranawake