WINNIPEG: A second state of emergency has been declared in Manitoba due to wildfires burning in the province. Premier Wab Kinew announced Thursday the state of emergency came into effecr at 12:01 p.m. The province also declared a state of emergency on May 28 that was lifted on June 23.
Assistant Deputy Minister Kristin Hayward of the Conservation Officer Service and Manitoba Wildfire Service stated that 2025 is currently around 11 times worse than the average in terms of hectares burned. There are currently 105 active wildfires burning, with a total of 261 fires recorded in the province so far this year. On July 8, over one million hectares of land in the province have been consumed by fires, a stark contrast to the 20-year average of 94,000 hectares.
The escalating fire activity has led to mandatory evacuation orders for several communities. The remote Garden Hill First Nation, a fly-in community of over 3,000 people, has ordered all residents to evacuate as a fire directly threatens the area. Ottawa has approved the Canadian Armed Forces’ support to assist with these evacuations.
The town of Snow Lake, with approximately 1,000 residents, has also issued a mandatory evacuation order, requiring all non-essential personnel to be out by noon on Thursday. This marks the second evacuation for Snow Lake residents this season. Similarly, the 600 residents of Lynn Lake have also been ordered to flee their homes for a second time.
To accommodate the influx of evacuees, reception centers have been set up at the Leila Soccer Centre and Billy Mosienko Arena in Winnipeg. Premier Kinew also indicated that the province would be securing access to the RBC Convention Centre in downtown Winnipeg for additional sheltering needs.
Eleanor Olszewski, the federal minister of emergency management, posted on X on Thursday morning that Ottawa has sent the Canadian Armed Forces to help with the evacuation. On Thursday morning, Wekusko Falls Provincial Park, about eight kilometres south of Snow Lake, was closed by the Manitoba government due to wildfires. Snow Lake had been under a 12-hour evacuation advisory before residents were ordered to leave by Thursday at noon. There are three separate fires burning within 25 kilometres of the town, a provincial wildfire update said Wednesday.
