Wildfires threaten Leaf Rapids, Manitoba. Residents may be evacuated with less than 10 hours’ notice as two nearby fires burn out of control.
Manitoba Town Braces for Urgent Evacuation Notice
The northern Manitoba community of Leaf Rapids is on high alert as nearby wildfires continue to grow out of control, prompting officials to warn that an evacuation could be ordered with as little as 10 hours’ notice. The alert was issued Sunday morning via a public notice posted on the town’s official Facebook page.
With approximately 350 residents, Leaf Rapids is located 750 kilometres north of Winnipeg and is now facing immediate danger from two nearby wildfires — one measuring over 5,000 hectares to the southwest and another approximately 100 hectares near O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation to the southeast.
Fires Threaten Infrastructure, Community Health
The fires, which remain uncontained according to provincial updates, have already impacted air quality and raised concerns over hydro infrastructure. In previous updates, officials warned that one blaze could damage power lines, potentially causing outages.
Residents are experiencing heavy smoke. “I woke up about 6:30 a.m. and it was really smoky outside. You could smell it inside,” said Elizabeth Charrier, a Leaf Rapids resident. “My daughter has a cold and my son has asthma. I’m keeping them in because it’s affecting their breathing.”
Families Prepare to Leave Quickly
Local residents are preparing for rapid evacuation. “Our vehicles are packed. This time, we’ve got our important things in a bag and everything’s in the vehicle,” Charrier added, recalling a past evacuation two years ago that was more chaotic.
Town officials confirmed evacuation logistics are already underway, and further information will be shared as the situation evolves.
O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation Begins Evacuations
Roughly 75 kilometres from Leaf Rapids, O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation has begun evacuating residents considered high risk. On Saturday, 80 individuals with respiratory issues or medical conditions were flown to Winnipeg.
“The smoke is coming in, and more of it is going to be blown in by tomorrow,” said Chief Shirley Ducharme. “Things are running smoothly. We should be done with our Priority 1s by the end of the day.”
The next phase of evacuation may include elders and other Priority 2 residents, depending on fire progression and air quality forecasts.
Officials Monitor Risk to Highway and Power
Authorities are particularly concerned about fire crossing Highway 391 again, which could threaten hydro poles and lead to widespread outages. If that occurs, community leaders in both Leaf Rapids and O-Pipon-Na-Piwin may be forced to escalate evacuations further.
“We’ll wait and see how things go,” Chief Ducharme said. “We might have to move forward with Priority 2 evacuations. We haven’t made that decision yet.”
Ongoing Coordination with Emergency Partners
The evacuations are being coordinated with support from Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, Indigenous Services Canada, the Canadian Red Cross, and RCMP. Debriefings will determine next steps for evacuating additional residents if smoke intensifies or infrastructure becomes compromised.
Officials urge all residents to remain on alert and prepare to evacuate on short notice.
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