A fast-growing forest fire near The Pas and Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) has led to evacuation orders for nearby communities and subdivisions.
The fire responsible for the situation, named the WE004 fire by Manitoba Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures and the Manitoba Wildfire Services (MWS), has led to evacuations for the town of Wanless, homes near Rocky Lake and for the communities of Cottage Cove, Jackfish Drive and Sunset Beach - all cabin areas near Clearwater Lake - and Carrot Valley, a mostly rural area near the Carrot River west of The Pas.
"The Pas RCMP are evacuating the Sunset Beach area and Highway 283 west of The Pas, known as Carrot Valley," reads a statement issued by Manitoba RCMP Thursday night.
A statement issued late Thursday night by the Clearwater Lake Cottagers' Association said that in addition to Sunset Beach, the Cottage Cove and Jackfish Drive areas had also been evacuated, but that the fire had been contained at Manitoba Highway 287, the road to both Clearwater Lake and The Pas Airport.
The RM of Kelsey announced an evacuation alert for Wanless and residents on the east and north shores of Rocky Lake Thursday afternoon, followed by an evacuation order two hours later. Residents from any of the affected areas are asked to register at the Wescana Inn in The Pas after leaving.
OCN band advised that two areas of the nation, Bracken Dam and Watchi Bay, were put on evacuation alert late Thursday night. Bracken Dam was one of three areas of the Cree nation where evacuation orders were issued last weekend - those orders were eventually lifted and people could return home, but a second alert was issued Thursday night.
According to Manitoba 511, both Manitoba Highways 10 and 283 are still open for traffic as of 10 p.m. Thursday night, but speed restrictions are in place in some areas along Highway 283.
The RM of Kelsey has also advised residents to fill water jugs if possible, as the fire could pose a risk to the RM's water treatment plant - a boil water advisory would likely be called if the treatment centre is affected.
Around 200 people live in Wanless and the surrounding area - the populations of the Sunset Beach, Rocky Lake and Carrot Valley are unknown.
The fire was first spotted May 3, but has since grown to over 6,600 hectares in size and is still considered “out of control” according to MWS as of Thursday night. The fire has been named such because it was the fourth fire of the year in the Western region.
Most of the fire was believed to be extinguished earlier this week, with about 90 per cent of it being put out as of May 5, but dry conditions and heavy winds have helped it spread both to the north and south. Water bombers have been called in to fight the fire, joined in the past two days with an extra bomber and helicopter. Local officials with the Town of The Pas and with OCN band council have both said the blaze does not pose a threat to public safety for either community.
The fire has grown both to the north and to the south of its believed place of origin, with firefighters from both OCN and The Pas and RCMP members working over the weekend to keep the fire from jumping over the Carrot River.
No injuries or property damage, including loss of infrastructure or homes, has been confirmed as of press time.
The fire, according to the MWS, is believed to have started west of the community of Big Eddy, located on OCN land. The blaze is believed to be human caused, which can range from anything to a campfire gone wrong or a spark from a passing vehicle - no further details about the fire’s origin have been made available.
Closer to Flin Flon, dry conditions have forced all nearby municipal areas - the City of Flin Flon, the Town of Creighton, the Northern Village of Denare Beach and the Rural Municipality of Kelsey - to issue immediate fire bans and restrictions. In Flin Flon, all fire permits are suspended Thursday with bans on using non-gas fire pits, open fires, charcoal or pellet barbecues, fireworks, burn barrels and incinerators. The bans were each announced May 4-5, with all communities citing dry conditions as reason for the limits.
A small brush fire was reported near Sourdough Bay by Lake Athapapuskow, the same area that was hit hard by a massive forest fire last May that destroyed homes and cabins. After response from local firefighters summoned to the area, the fire was extinguished Thursday night with no reported injuries or property damage.
The City of Flin Flon also issued a ban on driving off-road vehicles, like quads, side-by-sides and dirt bikes, within local limits - while doing so is usually allowed with conditions, conditions are currently seen as so dry that using these vehicles could start more fires. The City's statement, issued May 8, said the ban was "due to the potential to ignite dry grass and foliage with hot engine components."
The Saskatchewan government issued a blanket fire ban for much of the northern portion of the province, including areas near Creighton, Denare Beach and other nearby communities, running from as far south as Hudson Bay up to the Churchill River. The ban covers all provincial parks and recreation sites - no open fires, fireworks or controlled burns are allowed under the ban.
Areas around both The Pas and Flin Flon, as well as nearby communities in Saskatchewan, were listed as having a “moderate” or “high” fire danger according to Natural Resources Canada May 8.
No such bans have been announced by Manitoba Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures for the region as of Thursday night.
In Saskatchewan, a pair of fires burning near the Hanson Lake Road have caused an access road near the highway, Saskatchewan Highway 913, to be shut down as of Thursday night. The road, located north of the Caribou Creek Lodge, is closed at the junction with the Hanson Lake Road, officially known as Saskatchewan Highway 106. The road leads to Rainbow Lodge, Piprell Lake, Summit Lake and other wilderness camps and outfitters.
The Hanson Lake Road remains open as of 10 p.m. Thursday night according to the Saskatchewan Highway Hotline.
