First Nations call for more equipment as Pukatawagan battles wildfire with hoses used to flood rink
Chief says northern Manitoba community fighting fires with equipment 'no bigger than a garden hose'
First Nations in northern Manitoba are asking for more equipment as they continue battling wildfires that helped trigger a provincewide state of emergency last week.
People in Pukatawagan Cree Nation resorted to fighting the fire with hoses "no bigger than a garden hose," including some usually used on the community's hockey rink, Chief Gordie Bear said at a news conference Tuesday morning.
"We have root fire, we have fire hot spots coming out of some places two, three days later because we got no water," Bear said. "If we had water to [douse] these little hot flames out, we'd catch up to the fire."
The fire in Pukatawagan — also known as Mathias Colomb Cree Nation — has been active since May 27 and was reported at 9,785 hectares in Tuesday's provincial fire bulletin.
As of Monday evening, the community was working to fight the out-of-control flames with only two fire trucks, three portable Mark-3 fire pumps and about 2,000 feet (roughly 600 metres) of hose, Bear said.
"Years ago … we had shovels, we had pickaxes, we had Pulaskis [firefighting axes]. We don't have any of that," he said. "Absolutely nothing from the Department of Natural Resources for fire suppression. Again, we say we have nothing but hoses for our gardens, rakes for the lawns — nothing to fight fires with."
Fifty pumps, 1,500 1.5-inch hoses and 500 sprinklers had been mobilized to Manitoba as of Tuesday, according to rough estimates in the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre's latest daily fire situation report.
South of Pukatawagan, Pimicikamak Cree Nation Chief David Monias said his community is working with only one fire truck as it looks to protect local property with a wildfire "by our doorstep."
"For a community of 10,000 people, that's ridiculous.… We're fighting even just to get water bombers," Monias said.
"We have a state of emergency provincewide, and we're still fighting for resources when they should be coming readily."
The wildfire near Pimicikamak — also known as Cross Lake — was nearly 2,300 hectares in size as of the latest bulletin. Monias said Pimicikamak was working to get the last members out of the community on Tuesday.
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In an emailed statement Tuesday, the Manitoba government said provincial officials are in daily contact with local fire authorities to assess equipment and personnel needs. Pumps and hoses have been provided to Pukatawagan, and the province is reviewing Pimicikamak's fire truck request and considering options with emergency response partners, the statement said.
It also said members of the office of the fire commissioner and urban search-and-rescue teams have been stationed in First Nations communities, where they're setting up sprinklers and fighting fires alongside the local fire departments.
The province said water bombers have at times been grounded because of smoke over the past couple of days in areas including Pukatawagan, but they've been used on several fires whenever possible.
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Resources come and go depending on the situation, but significant fire suppression efforts have been deployed, the province said.
Garrison Settee, grand chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, which represents First Nations in the province's north, says the communities didn't have the basic tools to fight fires that may have prevented the situation from getting to this point.
"It's like trying to fight a fire with a water pistol," Settee said at Tuesday's news conference.
"That's what our firefighters were faced with — not being able to fight this fire because they do not have the proper equipment, and they did not put themselves into that situation," he said, adding that the federal and provincial governments need to proactively prepare for wildfires.
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Pukatawagan has evacuated everyone but about 50 essential workers, Chief Bear said. Emergency co-ordinator Tobi Bighetty said 1,350 people were relocated, with only a few still remaining in The Pas, about 200 kilometres south of Pukatawagan.
Bighetty said besides those who drove themselves, 240 evacuees were sent south on Via Rail, 600 were bused out and the remainder were flown out on Hercules and King Air planes.
Pukatawagan is about 700 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg as the crow flies. Pimicikamak is about 500 kilometres north of the Manitoba capital.
Find the latest wildfire information at these sources:
Are you an evacuee who needs assistance? Contact Manitoba 211 by calling 211 from anywhere in Manitoba or email 211mb@findhelp.ca.
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With files from Rosanna Hempel