Manitoba premier declares state of emergency over wildfires, says military aid coming

The evacuations include all 5,000 residents of the city of Flin Flon.

Kinew said when cottage owners and other nearby residents are added in, the number rises to 6,000.

Those residents were told just hours earlier to head south with their essentials, as they were warned a day earlier they might have to flee on a moment’s notice.

“I can tell you everybody has to be out by midnight and that includes me,” Flin Flon Mayor George Fontaine said in an interview.

“I’m busy packing a couple of things and everybody is getting as organized as we can.”

He said people plan to take Highway 10 as it’s the only route out.

“That ends up in Winnipeg so we’ll see what happens,” Fontaine said.

Flin Flon is 630 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

Earlier Wednesday, it began sending hospital patients out of the city ahead of the fire, which is menacing the region from the north.

Evacuees were urged to stay with family and friends, and earlier in the day, Kinew said public facilities, like rec centres, may be asked to open their doors to help out.

He has said hotels in his province are already at capacity with fire refugees and convention attendees.

The fire began Monday across the boundary in nearby Creighton, Sask., and has since exploded in size.

Footage taken by firefighters working between Creighton and Flin Flon had to flee as the wildfire they were battling surged. (Facebook)

Crews struggled early on to contain the fire as water bombers were grounded due to a drone flying in the area.

Creighton Mayor Bruce Fidler said the 1,200 or so residents have been told to leave town as soon as possible.

He said wildfire officials from Manitoba and Saskatchewan told him the fire could move closer by Thursday and cut off the roads outside of town.

“We declared a state of emergency and put out a mandatory evacuation so that we can get as many people out of the area as possible to be safe and before the roads become impassable,” Fidler said in an interview.

He said Highway 10 in Manitoba is open and Saskatchewan has opened up Highway 106 temporarily for people to make their way to Prince Albert.

Traffic was backed up as residents fled the fires in Flin Flon Wednesday afternoon. (Submitted photo)

One Creighton resident said she has been living in the community since 1999 and has never seen anything like this. She said the stream of traffic on the highway to The Pas was endless.

““It’s a little bit nerve racking for sure. You pack up everything as quick as you can and go but there is still always that feeling you’ll come back and everything will be gone,” she said. “I have seven Rubbermade bins in the back of my truck, the kids, baby blankets and baby clothes and photos… just loaded up clothes, toiletries, my safe that has a passport, birth certificates, the dog’s food and that was pretty much it.”

“It’s starting to hit me now and I’m like, I started kind of having anxiety because it’s like I’ve never… I’ve never had to leave my home and leave my stuff like that before.”

— By Aaron Sousa in Edmonton and Jeremy Simes in Regina

–With files from battlefordsNOW and northeastNOW

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2025.

by The Canadian Press

Manitoba premier declares state of emergency over wildfires, says military aid coming

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