Manitoba has declared a state of emergency and begun a mass evacuation as wildfires continue to sweep across Central and Western Canada, forcing thousands from their homes and disrupting vital oil and gas operations.
On Wednesday, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew announced that approximately 17,000 people in the northern and eastern parts of the province, including residents of Flin Flon, were being urged to evacuate immediately. The province is working with the federal government and deploying armed forces to assist in the evacuation effort.
“This is the largest evacuation in many Manitobans’ living memory, and this will require significant resources and co-operation from all levels of government,” Kinew said during a news conference. Many evacuees are being accommodated at soccer fields and community centres in Winnipeg and surrounding cities.
Meanwhile, in Alberta, wildfires have prompted temporary shutdowns of oil and gas operations and forced evacuations in affected communities. Cenovus Energy announced it was scaling back nonessential staff at its Foster Creek oil sands facility as fires spread across the Bonnyville–Cold Lake region. The wildfires near Chipewyan Lake, around 130 kilometres west of Fort McMurray, now cover approximately 2,900 hectares (11.2 square miles).
Though officials said there was no immediate threat to Chipewyan Lake as of Wednesday, residents have been placed on a one-hour evacuation notice due to shifting winds.
In Swan Hills, about 1,600 hectares of forest are burning out of control just 7 kilometres north of town. The roughly 1,200 residents were ordered to evacuate on Monday evening. In response, Aspenleaf Energy, an oil and gas producer operating in the area, has halted operations and temporarily shut in about 4,000 barrels per day of production as a precaution.
The Canadian government and provincial authorities continue to monitor the rapidly evolving wildfire situation, which is being intensified by dry conditions and strong winds. The current crisis underscores the growing severity and frequency of wildfires across the country, with both human safety and economic activity under serious threat.
Melissa Enoch
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