Where are the wildfires in Manitoba? Map, evacuation updates, and death toll
The wildfires in Manitoba have taken two lives after both were trapped by an out-of-control wildfire in the rural municipality of Lac du Bonnet.
Canada's wildfire season has now begun, and it has kicked off with a rather "deadly start". In a small town in Manitoba, two lives were lost. The town in context has been evacuated due to the massive wildfire surge.
What is the current death toll of the Manitoba wildfires?
The death of a man and a woman in Manitoba marked the start to Canada's deadly wildfires, bringing back memories from two years ago when Canada recorded its worst wildfire season. This record was in terms of the number of fires and acres of land reduced to ashes.
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The Manitoba Legislative Building flew flags at half-mast to honor the man and the woman who lost their lives to the raging wildfires in Manitoba, in the rural municipality of Lac du Bonnet. Premier Wab Kinew offered condolences to the friends and family of the victims. He stated that lowering the flags to half-mast was "a small gesture towards the sympathies that we feel and how this latest turn in this year's wildfire situation hits on a different emotional level."
"The news of this loss of life changes what was an emergency into a tragedy", Premier Kinew was quoted as saying in the news conference related to the incident.
Canada wildfire map
The Canada's wildfire tracking map is available with Canadian government websites which show real-time data of raging wildfires in the country. It will give citizens the idea about their areas and if they are currently affected. Necessary evacuation protocols can then be planned accordingly. Staying updated with your local weather office is also a must.
As of May 15, two new fires broke out, with 95 active fires in the country. As per the stats by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, 25 of these active fires are “Out of Control”, while 47 are currently under control.
To read the full report from May 15 about the ongoing wildfires in Canada, click here.
Road closures and evacuation updates
Due to the road closures due to the wildfires, traffic has witnessed some major disruption in the Manitoba region. Some of the places where road closures were initiated include:
- Highway 203 from west Jct. Highway 12 to east Jct. Highway 12 (Piney), near Woodridge, Carrick and Badger.
- Highway 210 from Highway 12 to Highway 404 in Marchand Provincial Park.
- Highway 304 from Highway 314 to Bissett.
- Highway 314 from Highway 315 to Highway 304., across Nopiming Provincial Park.
- Highway 315 from Highway 313 in Nopiming to Highway 314 in Pinawa Bay.
- Highway 433 from Highway 313 to Cape Coppermine.
- Highway 313 from east of Lac du Bonnet to Pointe Du Bois.
The latest update of road closures can be found on the traffic department website or on your map applications.
As of now, more than 1,000 residents in the Manitoba region have been forced to evacuate due to the raging wildfires. Initially it was the strong southerly winds had worsened the fire’s spread, but the situation has slightly taken a turn for the better by Wednesday morning.
