Manitoba has declared a state of emergency as wildfires continue to spread across Central and Western Canada, prompting evacuation orders for thousands of residents in the province’s northern and eastern regions.
Premier Wab Kinew announced that approximately 17,000 people, including residents from the city of Flin Flon, must evacuate urgently. Evacuees will be accommodated at community centres and soccer fields in Winnipeg and other cities, with the federal military mobilized to assist in transportation and logistics.
“This is the largest evacuation in living memory for many Manitobans and will demand substantial coordination and resources from all levels of government,” Kinew stated.
In Alberta, wildfires have disrupted oil and gas operations and led to further evacuations. Cenovus Energy has scaled back nonessential staff at its Foster Creek oil sands facility as a precautionary measure in response to wildfire threats in the Bonnyville-Cold Lake region.
One major wildfire has scorched 2,900 hectares near Chipewyan Lake, around 130 kilometers west of Fort McMurray, though officials say the community is not currently at risk. Residents have, however, been placed on a one-hour evacuation alert due to shifting winds.
Another wildfire, covering roughly 1,600 hectares, is burning out of control just 7 kilometers north of Swan Hills. The town’s 1,200 residents were ordered to evacuate on Monday evening. Aspenleaf Energy, operating in the area, has temporarily halted production and shut in about 4,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day as a safety measure.
