Officials declared a state of emergency for the entire province of Manitoba on Wednesday as out-of-control fires threatened several communities.
Wildfires have prompted a provincewide state of emergency in Manitoba, Canada, where 17,000 residents are under evacuation orders due to fires raging in the north and east of the province.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew urged residents to heed official warnings during a news conference on Wednesday night, advising them to head toward urban areas like Winnipeg, where temporary housing and emergency assistance are being provided.
“This is the largest evacuation that Manitoba will have seen in most people’s living memory,” Mr. Kinew stated.
The city of Flin Flon and the First Nations of Pimicikamak and Mathias Colomb issued mandatory evacuation orders to residents, according to officials. The Canadian military will assist with the evacuations, including emergency flights, as stated by Mr. Kinew.
“The military is being called for help here because of the sheer scale,” Mr. Kinew remarked, noting that evacuations would take place within hours and many displaced individuals would temporarily relocate to Winnipeg.
City officials and the armed forces are working to construct temporary shelters in locations such as arenas and sports grounds, according to Mr. Kinew.
In an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Company, George Fontaine, the mayor of Flin Flon, emphasized that everyone needed to evacuate by midnight. “I’m busy packing a couple of things and everybody is getting as organized as we can,” Mr. Fontaine said.
Wildfire season has already proven deadly in Manitoba, where earlier this month two individuals were trapped and killed in a small western town before they could evacuate. As of Wednesday, 22 fires were burning in the province, with 11 of them considered out of control.
The fire near Flin Flon covered approximately 50,000 acres as of Wednesday afternoon, while another fire near Sherridon, north of Flin Flon, was reported at about 100,000 acres.
“This is a moment of fear and uncertainty. This is a moment of concern,” Mr. Kinew expressed, addressing the 17,000 residents under evacuation orders. “But I want to tell you that your fellow Manitobans will welcome you. We will get through this difficult period and we will get through this trying period the way that we always do: by working together.”