A remote First Nation has declared a state of emergency as a wildfire continues to threaten the community.
A 3,000-hectare wildfire has cut off hydroelectricity to the community of Red Sucker Lake Anisininew Nation (RSLAN), forcing many residents to flee south.
Some residents were evacuated earlier this week due to smoke blanketing the First Nation, which is approximately 700 km northeast of Winnipeg.
More than 300 area residents have registered with the Red Cross so far, said RSLAN Chief Samuel Knott by phone Saturday.
The hydro outage knocked out cellphone service and a makeshift command centre has been set up at the community’s nursing station, Knott said.
The chief is calling for provincial and federal funding for back-up generators, transportation and temporary housing amid the blaze, which is burning west of the community.
The province’s wildfire service first detected the fire on July 19 and it is still classified as out-of-control.
Manitoba Hydro spokesperson Riley McDonald said just before 2 p.m. Saturday hydro crews flew by helicopter to the community to assess the damage and begin restoring service to the community. An estimated time of restoration is yet to be determined, McDonald said.
Nicole Buffie
Multimedia producer
Nicole Buffie is a multimedia producer who reports for the Free Press city desk. Born and bred in Winnipeg, Nicole graduated from Red River College’s Creative Communications program in 2020 and worked as a reporter throughout Manitoba before joining the Free Press newsroom in 2023. Read more about Nicole.
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