More than 2 dozen cottages, homes burned to the ground in Manitoba's Burge Lake Provincial Park
Northwest Manitoba park 'just looks like a bomb went off in the middle of it,' says Lynn Lake fire chief
More than two dozen cottages and homes in northwestern Manitoba's Burge Lake Provincial Park have burned to the ground due to wildfires, the mayor of Lynn Lake confirmed this week.
And as officials continue to assess the damage, he says many are concerned about the emotional toll the destruction will have on residents when they finally return home.
"We've seen a tremendous amount of loss," said Brandon Dulewich, the mayor of Lynn Lake, about 235 kilometres north of Flin Flon.
Firefighters spent days trying to save approximately 35 homes and cabins located in Burge Lake Provincial Park, which is only about five kilometres north of the town of Lynn Lake, he said.
Despite their efforts, Dulewich confirmed Wednesday that 29 buildings, including a mix of both seasonal cottages and permanent residences, were destroyed.
"The destruction at that subdivision is something that is extremely hard to see, and my heart goes out to those who lost a home or a cottage out there.
"It's something they've worked for their whole life, and now it's gone."
The buildings destroyed included his own cottage in the area — a loss he is still coming to grips with, said Dulewich, who also works as a firefighter with the Lynn Lake Fire Department.
Firefighters have been working for weeks to contain an out-of-control wildfire that continues to burn in the region, and covers nearly 72,000 hectares, according to the province's latest fire update.
Lynn Lake and the surrounding area were ordered evacuated on May 27, and residents still haven't been cleared to go home.
With buildings destroyed, and much of the area now charred, Dulewich is warning residents that the Burge Lake they will come back to will look a lot different than what they left.
"Even that location is completely charred," he said. "There's no trees left standing, the ground is black.
"It's not what it used to be. It's going to be surprising for people and overwhelming."
The destruction is "heartbreaking," he said, acknowledging the connection many in the area have to their homes and cottages.
'Just awful': fire chief
Lynn Lake Fire Department Chief Paul Grimmer echoed Dulewich's concerns about the scene that Burge Lake residents are poised to return to, and how they will deal with it emotionally.
"It's just awful," Grimmer said. "It was just a beautiful park, and now it just looks like a bomb went off in the middle of it."
Grimmer also lost his own cottage in the fire, he confirmed, but said his number 1 priority now is for the department to save as many structures as they can as the fire continues to burn.
As of Wednesday, neither Dulewich and Grimmer could say when they expect residents from the area will be able to return home. Both said the fire could continue to threaten Lynn Lake and Burge Lake, depending on elements like heat and wind in the coming days and weeks.
Crystal Antila, who is a volunteer firefighter with the Springfield Fire Department in southern Manitoba but grew up in Lynn Lake, bought a cabin in Burge Lake about a year ago. It was one of the structures that has now burned down, she said.
"We heard about it a few weeks ago now, and obviously a lot of people got the same news, so it's a really unfortunate loss for a lot of people out there," she said.
In her volunteer role, Antila said she was one of the many people dispatched to the area to fight the fire, and she was able to see the destruction to her cabin and to the area first-hand.
"'Before' and 'after' is a very different view," she said. "It was a very emotional experience."
As hard as losing her own cabin was, Antila said she can't imagine how people who have lost homes and cabins that have been in their families for years — decades, in some cases — will feel when they return to the ruins.
"There are a few people that this was their year-round home, and I can't imagine how they are dealing with the stress of that loss," she said. "I am fortunate it was a summer getaway, so it's not having the same impact on my day-to-day life, and my heart goes out to them.
"It must be very difficult for them every single day now trying to figure out what their life is going to look like."
The province confirmed on Wednesday it is aware of 130 structures in total lost across the province due to this year's wildfires, but said it will not be providing any more details or descriptions until affected individuals have been notified.
As of Wednesday, the Manitoba Wildfire Service was fighting 21 active wildfires across the province. There have been 124 wildfires to date this year, above the average for this date of 118 total fires, the province said in its latest fire bulletin.
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With files from Gavin Axelrod