An immediate evacuation order has been issued for the northwestern Manitoba city of Flin Flon, as a fire that began over the Saskatchewan border continues to spread.
Mayor George Fontaine confirmed to CBC News in a Wednesday afternoon phone call that all residents will have to leave by midnight.
On Tuesday, the city asked residents to pre-register in case of a potential evacuation. Anyone who has not yet registered can do so via the City of Flin Flon’s website, officials said in a release posted to Facebook on Wednesday afternoon.
Residents have been told to make arrangements to stay with friends and family, or call the 211 health and social services line for information about shelters in Winnipeg.
Anyone who needs information or assistance can go to the community hall, the City of Flin Flon said.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will be speaking about the wildfire situation at a news conference at 5:30 p.m. CT. CBC will livestream that conference here and on CBC Gem.
The wildfire near Flin Flon, a city of about 5,000 located approximately 630 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, is one of 18 wildfires actively burning across the province.
More to come
