Note: This story is a live file and will be updated as new information arrives. This story was last updated at 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
Staff members from The Reminder have evacuated Flin Flon, but will keep writing updates as long as possible during the emergency. If you have questions or concerns you would like us to chase or add here about the fire, evacuations or anything else, please notify us at [email protected].
Anyone seeking to register with the Red Cross or to donate to their campaign can do so at https://www.redcross.ca/2025manitobawildfires or 1-800-863-6582.
Flin Flon and Creighton are still unscathed from a nearby forest fire as of Sunday, but cabin country may be a different story.
The Club/WE024 fire continues to burn around Flin Flon and Creighton and has reached south toward cottage country, specifically around Bakers Narrows and Big Island Lake. Sources have confirmed to The Reminder that properties in the area have been damaged by the fire - exactly how many and how much damage has been done is still unknown.
The fire has grown to a size of over 56,000 hectares, according to Natural Resources Canada mapping. Most recent hotspots reported with the fire show growth into the bush to the north and northwest of Creighton, including around Mari Lake and the westernmost shore of Kisseynew Lake. Isolated other patches of hotspots have also been reported throughout the area, most notably around Bakers Narrows, Mikinagan Lake and Wabishkok Lake.
In an update shared Sunday morning, the City of Flin Flon confirmed that some properties around Bakers Narrows had been "affected" by the fire, adding that it may be too early to tell for sure which properties were affected and how, along with which specific areas have been impacted.
"Firefighters stopped the fire in the Bakers Narrows area from becoming a total loss to all properties - however, some properties and structures were affected and for now, we do not have information on which properties were affected," reads the update.
Official sources have confirmed that no injuries or casualties have taken place as a result during the fire, either from members of the public or firefighters.
Municipalities
The news was better for people living in Flin Flon and Creighton - no structure fires have been reported in either community as of Sunday morning, according to municipal updates, though risk has ramped up later in the day.
Electricity, which was cut off in the community Friday night, was restored Saturday afternoon - locals have been using footage from home security cameras and video doorbells to see whether their homes or neighbourhoods have been affected.
"Fire crews have thus far contained the fire outside the city's perimeter highway, and as of last night, there are no structural fires in the city," reads the City's Sunday morning update.
"Electricity is coming back online throughout parts of the city, as Manitoba Hydro continues working to restore power to affected areas. Utility systems are back online within the city."
The Town of Creighton issued its own statement Sunday morning, saying no structural losses have been reported in the community and that a fire was contained near the Hanson Lake Road.
"Last night, the fire crews contained a fire near the highway. They will keep monitoring and put out any hot spots. Creighton remains all good - no structural losses," reads the Town's Sunday notice.
"Coming days have shown some strong winds - however, I want to stress we have very capable people working on these fires on both sides of the border."
While progress was made overnight and early Sunday, an update from the City of Flin Flon issued around 4 p.m. said the situation had worsened due to higher winds.
"Winds have picked up to an extreme degree, and progress that has been made in the last 12 hours in extinguishing the blaze has been lost. Fire crews are ramping up in the Bakers Narrows area to defend the airport and nearby structures," said the update.
"Heavy-lift choppers are flying and dropping water, which is making a tangible impact for protecting strategic areas. Flin Flon has remained safe. The risk to our community has increased, but crews are on guard and ensuring the fire does not breach the perimeter highway."
According to sources working around Bakers Narrows, smoke with the Club/WE024 fire has lifted Sunday, allowing for air support to come back into the area - west winds coming into the area may blow the fire to the east, meaning fire crews have moved some resources into the Big Island and Schist Lake areas to protect in case the blaze moves closer.
Meanwhile, the WE023 fire near Wanless that is blocking off Highway 10 is still active and has grown to 1,400 hectares in size. Crews have come in from British Columbia to help fight it, but winds coming into the area might cause additional smoke and force an even longer road closure.
The weather forecast around the area may, finally, have some rain Sunday - Environment Canada forcecasts for Flin Flon and the surrounding area call for a 30 per cent chance of showers and a mix of sun and cloud for Sunday. Aside from that though, no further rain is in the forecast until potentially next weekend - and today's forecast also includes wind gusts up to 50 kilometres per hour, which may affect firefighting tactics.
Hudbay issued another statement May 31, thanking fire crews, firefighters and everyone helping out the firefighting effort. The company's Lalor mine, located in Snow Lake, is still operating and the company still expects employees, many of which live in Flin Flon and some of which are fighting the flames with local fire departments, to contact their supervisors with return-to-work plans. Members of the company's mine rescue team have assisted the firefighting team during the effort.
"Work is continuing in Snow Lake and we remind all employees to contact their supervisor regarding their individual plans on returning to work," reads the update, signed by Hudbay Manitoba business unit vice-president Rob Carter.
"Fire crews continue their efforts in Flin Flon and the surrounding areas. Hudbay's mine rescue team was recently tasked with providing emergency care services to the firefighters and first responders who remain on the frontlines, all while continuing to perform their essential firefighting services."
Evacuations
Flight radar websites show planes flying in the area between The Pas and Pukatawagan, most likely taking people from Pukatawagan (which has been threatened by yet another fire) to safety. Hundreds of people in Pukatawagan were unable to leave the community even with a mandatory evacuation order in effect - with no all-weather road available in or out of town, the community's airport was too close to the fire and already affected by heat and smoke. The Keewatin Railway Company line, the community's sole all-weather land transport connection, was stopped due to the fire for a time, but a train of evacuees from Pukatawagan came south and arrived in Winnipeg Sunday, taking dozens of people out of harm's way.
Several communities in northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan have been evacuated due to the fires - Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach have been under mandatory evacuation orders since Wednesday, with no estimation of when it will be safe to return.
People who made it out of Flin Flon and arrived in Saskatchewan are still reporting mixups and difficulties accessing Red Cross per diems and aid, with some being moved from hotels in Nipawin and Prince Albert to Weyburn, almost a five hour drive away. Others have been told that, as Manitoba residents, they are unable to receive Saskatchewan aid - some Saskatchewan residents taken to Winnipeg have been told the same, although some have been able to sort the situation out personally.
Jordan McPhail, the MLA representing Creighton, Denare Beach, Pelican Narrows and other northern communities, issued a statement on the challenges Sunday, calling for increased guidance and assistance from the province and aid agencies to help people displaced from their homes.
"I continue to hear from so many displaced residents from Creighton, Denare Beach, the Saskatchewan side of Flin Flon and elsewhere that they are not receiving enough information from support agencies on available supports and places to stay," reads McPhail's statement.
"I understand from information provided today that there are very few, if any, available hotel rooms for evacuees in Prince Albert and Saskatoon at the moment. I would call on the Sask. Party Government to develop a clear communications channel for evacuees, a longer-range contingency plan to keep these people safe and provide shelter, especially if we expect further evacuation orders this coming week. I have heard from constituents being turned away at hotels and evacuation centres and this cannot continue to occur."
Residents of Sherridon evacuated the community May 25, while Lynn Lake residents evacuated the area May 27. Cabin areas near Flin Flon were evacuated Thursday, followed by Cranberry Portage and Sturgeon Landing Saturday. Snow Lake is under a pre-evacuation alert, meaning residents have not been asked to leave but are asked to prepare to leave in case the situation worsens. People living in Wanless and nearby areas, including Rocky Lake, are under a notice to be ready to evacuate within two hours if needed.
In Saskatchewan, several resort subdivisions and lodges were the first to issue orders to evacuate, doing so almost two weeks ago. Candle Lake issued a pre-evacuation alert last Sunday, but has not advanced to an evacuation order a week later. An evacuation order for Pelican Narrows was issued last week, starting with a voluntary evacuation then advancing to a mandatory one - Sandy Bay, which has seen its sole road out of town cut off due to the fire, issued a voluntary evacuation at the same time but has not issued a mandatory evacuation notice.
