Of these, more than 5,000 people came from Flin Flon, and there was no rain on forecasts anytime soon. Although the city, located near 400 miles northwest of Winnipeg’s state capital on Saturday morning, there were no building fires, but authorities are worried that changes in wind direction could lead to fire in the town.
Manitoba has declared a state of emergency in several communities in the state just north of Minnesota and North Dakota in the US, with fires burning from northwest to southeast. Smoke from the fire has been pushed south into parts of the United States, deteriorating air quality.
Additionally, 1,300 people have been forced out of their homes in the Swan Hills community in northwestern Edmonton, due to the impact of wildfires in Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Saskatchewan Prime Minister Scott Mo said at a press conference on Saturday that the ongoing hot and dry weather has grown and threatened several fires, and that the current figure for 8,000 fire evacuees could rise to 10,000.
About 17,000 residents of Manitoba’s Canadian province were evacuated due to about 20 active wildfires, officials said on Saturday.
Of these, more than 5,000 people came from Flin Flon, and there was no rain on forecasts anytime soon. Although the city, located near 400 miles northwest of Winnipeg’s state capital on Saturday morning, there were no building fires, but authorities are worried that changes in wind direction could lead to fire in the town.
Manitoba has declared a state of emergency in several communities in the state just north of Minnesota and North Dakota in the US, with fires burning from northwest to southeast. Smoke from the fire has been pushed south into parts of the United States, deteriorating air quality.
Additionally, 1,300 people have been forced out of their homes in the Swan Hills community in northwestern Edmonton, due to the impact of wildfires in Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Saskatchewan Prime Minister Scott Mo said at a press conference on Saturday that the ongoing hot and dry weather has grown and threatened several fires, and that the current figure for 8,000 fire evacuees could rise to 10,000.
Resources to combat fires and help evacuees have been stretched thinly, Moe said.
“The next four to seven days will be absolutely crucial until you can find a way to change the weather patterns and ultimately raining north,” Mo said.
188 active fires were burning in Canada on Saturday evening, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Truck Centre. Of these, 100 people were considering burning “out of control.”
Smoke from the wildfire was expected to drift across the US as air quality alerts were issued to parts of the Midwest.
“Smoke from Canadian wildfires spreads into the sky in the upper Midwest and most of the Great Lakes,” the National Weather Service wrote. “…Smoke also occasionally causes air quality issues, mainly due to sensitive groups.”
MNA/