Drizzle in northern Manitoba not enough to quench wildfires as community leaders hope for downpour

As evacuees fleeing wildfires in northern Manitoba watched rain fall in parts of the province on Sunday, community leaders are warning the north needs heavier downpour to help firefighters on the ground. 

Lori Forbes, emergency co-ordinator for the Rural Municipality of Kelsey, said Sunday's rain didn't fall where it was needed most. 

"We did get the rain in The Pas but we need the rain in the north. We need the rain where the fires are to help the firefighters," Forbes said. 

She said The Pas was about 100 kilometres away from the fire on Sunday afternoon. 

According to the province's most recent fire bulletin on Sunday, the wildfire near Sherridon is more than 300,000 hectares in size and is still out of control. 

"The further north you went, the less rain there was," Forbes said. 

The eight-degree temperatures are helping fire crews, she said, but it's windy and the weather is "changing very quickly." 

Flin Flon Mayor George Fontaine said he has been staying with his son in Winnipeg since the northern Manitoba city was evacuated nearly two weeks ago. 

Fontaine told CBC News that Saturday was a cooler day with calmer winds, allowing crews to wet down areas near the town and put out some hot spots. 

However, the weather and fire behaviour has been unpredictable, he said. 

"I don't know that we can say what's going to happen, but I'm hoping for rain, I'll tell you that," Fontaine said from Winnipeg, as a heavy downpour was hitting the pavement just before 4 p.m. CT. 

"Well, if they got there, what we're getting here today, that would be a lovely thing," he said. 

Sheryl Matheson, Sherridon's deputy mayor and president of Northern Association of Community Councils, said there was light rain in the area that caused a lot of smoke. 

"It wasn't a significant amount of rain that was coming down. It needs to turn into more of a downpour," she said. 

She said the drizzle has been keeping the ground wet, but it isn't enough to help crews battling the fire. 

"We're praying for a downpour," Matheson said.

Find the latest wildfire information at these sources:

• Canadian wildfire map
• Province of Manitoba fire bulletins
• CBC's wildfire tracker
• Communities under evacuations in Manitoba

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