Evacuees can return home after crews extinguish large brush fire west of Carberry, Man.: RCMP
About 20 homes in the Municipality of North Cypress-Langford were evacuated
A brush fire just west of Carberry, Man., has been extinguished and residents can now return to their homes, say RCMP.
Approximately 20 homes from North Cypress-Langford, a municipality west of Carberry and about 170 kilometres west of Winnipeg, were evacuated Thursday afternoon, after a brush fire broke out at Camp Hughes, an old military base nearby, police said.
"We had three or four neighbouring fire departments come and help us out in a very dangerous place — a rural residential, and it's dry as hell out there," said Bob Adriaansen, reeve of North Cypress-Langford.
"I talked to a few people that came in and it was right around their houses, but as far as I know there is no damage other than grass."
Adriaansen says he first heard about the fire around 2 p.m. Thursday. But Manitoba RCMP didn't inform the public about the situation until hours later.
WATCH | Crews scramble to contain Camp Hughes fire:
Just before 5:45 p.m., RCMP said via Twitter that a large brush fire was burning near CFB Shilo, a Canadian Armed Forces base nearly 180 kilometres west of Winnipeg. Spokesperson Paul Manaigre told CBC News that Mounties from the Blue Hills detachment were helping residents leave their homes near the base.
Manitoba RCMP later provided CBC News with a map of the impact area. The map showed the fire was actually at Camp Hughes, a heritage site roughly 13 kilometres west of Carberry, and the evacuated homes were just north of that site.
A section of Highway 351, near Carberry, Man., from Highway 5 to the west junction of the Trans-Canada Highway, was closed because of the fire. The evacuated homes are along that strip of road.
Approximately 20 homes were evacuated, said Manaigre in an email.
All evacuees were sent to the community rink in Carberry until the situation passed, said Adriaansen.
At 8:36 p.m., CBC News received an email from RCMP saying the fire was extinguished and evacuees were allowed to return home.
The affected section of highway has also reopened to traffic, according to Manitoba 511.
No injuries have been reported as of yet, Manaigre said.
Adriaansen hadn't heard what may have caused the fire by the time he spoke with CBC News Thursday evening.
The Town of Carberry and the Municipality of North Cypress-Langford have been under a burn ban since March 19 due to dry conditions. All fires are prohibited and anyone who doesn't comply will be fined.
"It's tinder dry. It could have been anything," said Adriaansen.