Cottagers, businesses rush to get out after Whiteshell Provincial Park closes due to wildfires
'1st time we've ever been ordered to evacuate,' says Falcon Lake rancher after state of emergency declared
While hundreds of people in Manitoba's Whiteshell region were scrambling to get themselves and their most valued possessions out of the reach of a devastating wildfire, Kendra Imrie was thinking about her horses.
Imrie, who owns a ranch near Falcon Lake, had to co-ordinate the evacuation of not only her family, but 54 horses and other animals in her care. She rented a pasture to the west where she could move them.
On Thursday morning, Imrie's family couldn't see the fire from their ranch, but they were concerned that strong winds would blow the flames toward them.
A local state of emergency was declared Thursday for Whiteshell Provincial Park after out-of-control wildfires in southeastern Manitoba prompted a mandatory evacuation of the park.
This is a serious situation," Premier Wab Kinew said at a news conference. "We are definitely going to take a cautious and safety-minded approach."
The largest active wildfire in the province, near Nopiming Provincial Park, now stretches nearly 100,000 hectares, according to the province's wildfire map, and is encroaching on the park, along the Ontario border.
Another out-of-control blaze near Ingolf, Ont., estimated at more than 27,000 hectares, was also moving into the Whiteshell from northwestern Ontario Thursday.
This isn't the first time wildfires have threatened the Whiteshell area, but Imrie said she's never seen a fire this big so close to her ranch.
"This is the first time we've ever been ordered to evacuate," she said.
"I understand why it's needed, although it is going to be a hit for our business," said Imrie, who had to cancel reservations for cabin rentals at her ranch.
She has also set up water sprinklers in the buildings on her ranch, in hopes of saving them if the fire does reach her property.
Doug Edmond, a director with the Whiteshell Cottagers Association, said many permanent residents had installed similar protection systems, including pumps that were set before residents evacuated on Thursday.
"We have been through this before," he said. "We know the drill in the context of what to do, and the important thing is to be safe."
The area was also threatened by a large wildfire in 2016, but Edmond said he's concerned about how early in the season fires started this season, catching many residents off-guard.
"The whole story is to be prepared," he said. "This is a more serious situation. It is a large fire, more unpredictable and … who knows what direction the fire is going to go."
'It's our home'
Judy Cornell and her husband, Stuart Cornell, also said they would feel the financial impact of having to close down their Whiteshell resort, especially during the Victoria Day long weekend.
But the province is "taking precautions, and that's what we need," said Judy, who owns Inverness Falls Resort on Brereton Lake with her husband.
"We don't want anybody in here and something happening."
Wildfires have threatened their property before. Now, every spring, the couple prepares for an evacuation. This year, they started packing almost two weeks ago.
They're hoping their business will still be standing when the evacuation order is lifted.
"We've been there for 45 years," said Stuart. "It's our home."
The Cornells received the evacuation notice through their local business association Wednesday afternoon.
While the province had announced at a news conference Wednesday the park would shut down, the Cornells say they were not directly informed of the evacuation by any government authority.
Neither was Mike Adey, who owns a dock manufacturing business and Whiteshell Outfitters, a hunting business in the Whiteshell. He said he was also informed by the local business association, leaving a "very short period of time" to get everything ready.
"They probably dealt with it as best they could," he said. "When it's emergency stuff, you don't always get a notification like you need."
Adey said he was up early Thursday morning to get his guests out, clean up the site and get his gear, including trailers and boats, out of the park.
"It's a make-or-break weekend for a lot of these lodges," he said. "It is very, very important, but I understand that with the conditions, we have to have a shutdown."
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With files from Felisha Adam and Marjorie Dowhos