A wildfire is at the threshhold of Pimicikimak Cree Nation, choking the air with smoke, as the northern Manitoba community’s leaders work to get 767 people out.
“Many that couldn’t get out because the junction at Highway 374 and Highway 373 is their lifeline to Norway House, and now it’s being compromised by the fire and the smoke,” Chief David Monias said Thursday morning.
Pimicikimak had started a precautionary evacuation Friday as wildfires impacted air quality. Residents were flown out from the airport in the community, about 530 kilometres north of Winnipeg on the shores of Cross Lake, but high winds and dry conditions worsened the situation this week.
Without notice, flights were cancelled Wednesday, just as Monias issued a full evacuation order, telling the remaining 6,500 residents to head south to Norway House Cree Nation.
That community is under an evacuation notice, but not yet an order.
Hundreds of vehicles and buses took people to the ferry for the final crossing to Norway House, but the bottleneck meant some waited up to nine hours without food or water, Monias said.
Some of them turned back and are now part of the remaining group trying to evacuate.
“It’s very smoky here [and] it’s getting thicker, because the fire’s at our doorstep. The sky is black, but we don’t see any flames,” Monias said to the CBC Thursday.
In a Facebook post Thursday morning after Monias spoke to the CBC, he announced the Canadian Armed Forces had arrived in Norway House with a plane to take as many Pimicikimak residents to Winnipeg as possible.
“Please, we need your full co-operation to get on these flights when your name is called,” he wrote. “These fires are unpredictable and dangerous. If the smoke shifts toward Norway House or worse, if the fire spreads in that direction, it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to evacuate anyone from there.”
Monias was trying to get answers from the Canadian Red Cross and federal government about the cancellations of flights to Pimicikimak, he said.
“I declared a state of emergency for my people [on Friday], and that was not recognized and was not respected. We see the fire, we smell it, we sense the fear. People are running out to Norway House without anything at all,” he said, thanking the leaders in Norway House for welcoming his people.
“We’re here, wondering what’s going on.”
In a Facebook post early Thursday, Monias said Norway House was prepared to receive 1,000 evacuees but instead took in six times that, “making accommodations incredibly difficult.”
The plan for Thursday was to see if more people could get across to Norway House, if the highway is still passable.
“We’re doing our best to try and take care of everybody and keep them safe,” Monias said to those who have left the community and are worried about the people still there.
“I’m sorry about what you have to go through, leaving your community and some of your loved ones. I apologize, but we’re doing our best.”
Norway House has been “incredible” for taking on the burden of hosting so many displaced people “but they too may need to prepare for their own emergency,” Monias wrote.
Those in Pimicikimak are among 17,000 expected to be evacuated as fires intensify in both northern and eastern Manitoba.
Premier Wab Kinew on Wednesday evening declared a provincewide state of emergency.
Evacuation orders have also been issued for Flin Flon, Lynn Lake, Pukatawagan Cree Nation (also known as Mathias Colomb First Nation), Marcel Colomb First Nation and Sherridon.
In addition to Norway House First Nation, Chemawawin Cree Nation (Easterville) is under an evacuation notice, with people ordered to be ready to leave.
The majority of the evacuees will head to Winnipeg and will be housed at large facilities such as community centres, soccer fields and arenas, Monias said.
Late Wednesday night, the province said a reception centre for evacuees is being set up at Billy Mosienko Arena on Keewatin Street and it will remain open all night.
The City of Winnipeg said Century and Eric Coy arenas will also be made available to the province and Canadian Red Cross.
Effective immediately, programming and rentals at those two arenas, along with Billy Mosienko, are cancelled until further notice.
Fire is also knocking at the doors of Sherridon, 60 kilometres northwest of Flin Flon.
“Last night it was really, really rough there. The winds changed against us, and the north points of our community caught on fire,” said Deputy Mayor Sheryl Matheson.
Crews were able to extinguish that section, “but the road access as of last night was in flames. It had crossed the road.”
The fire is currently near houses that were being protected through the night, she said.
“Right now, we’ve had no loss [of structures], but it is surrounding us completely,” Matheson said. “I had it at the footstep of my [Kenanow] Lodge yesterday, and the wildfire crew was able to extinguish it.”
Most of Sherridon’s 85 residents are in Dauphin. Some had gone to Flin Flon but experienced their second evacuation in as many days when that city was cleared on Wednesday.
“You just think that you get settled … and then we got thrown into this yesterday,” Matheson said.
“We’re from a small northern community, but we have family in Flin Flon, family in the [other] areas that are being evacuated. So it’s just been devastating to all of our community residents.”
About 13 residents are part of Sherridon’s fire team and remain there, fighting the flames, including Mayor Michelle Reimer, who has been keeping Matheson in the loop.
“I can tell you, if it wasn’t for the efforts of the wildfire crews … Sherridon would have been a total loss already,” Matheson said.
If there’s one positive thing to come out of the situation, it’s the reaffirmation of how well the province’s communities look after one another, she said.
“We’ve been blessed that we have a lot of strength in our Indigenous communities, side-by-side with our northern affairs communities. They work very well together in a time of crisis,” she said.
“And the people of Dauphin have welcomed us, and they’ve been bringing donations to the Best Western reception room we have there.”
Are you an evacuee who needs assistance? Manitoba 211 can be contacted by calling 211 from anywhere in Manitoba or by emailing [email protected].
