Wildfires Force Mass Evacuation in Manitoba, Canada

(The Post News)- Over 17,000 people in Manitoba are being evacuated due to the worst wildfire season start in years.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew announced a province-wide state of emergency due to the wildfires. Premier Kinew described the evacuation as the largest in living memory and requested military aid from the prime minister.

Military aircraft will be deployed soon to evacuate people from remote communities and provide firefighting support.

Canada’s climate crisis has led to more frequent and intense wildfires, with 2023 being the most destructive year on record. Canada is battling 134 active fires, with half deemed out of control, across multiple provinces.

The town of Flin Flon is among those being evacuated, with 5,000 residents told to prepare for immediate evacuation. Other remote towns and Indigenous communities have also been ordered to evacuate, with most evacuees heading to Winnipeg.

Evacuee Sheryl Matheson described the wildfires surrounding her town as “overwhelming”. Meanwhile, Matheson described the scene as smoky, with fast-moving fires and towering flames that firefighters couldn’t approach.

Moreover, Elsaida Alerta expressed “major anxiety” as she prepared to evacuate Flin Flon with her family. Alerta found the experience particularly stressful, having never evacuated before as a big city resident.

Alerta reported traffic congestion on the only open highway out of Flin Flon, with local gas stations depleted. Alerta’s family packed essentials, documents, and supplies for their animals, hoping for the best as they evacuated.

Premier Kinew warned that the fires’ widespread nature was alarming, noting that having fires in every region was a sign of climate change that required adaptation.