Manitoba
Residents of a northern Manitoba community have been ordered to leave town because of the “imminent threat” posed by a nearby wildfire.
Crews pulled back from fire line because of extreme conditions MondayArturo Chang · CBC News
· Posted: May 27, 2025 11:01 AM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago
The Town of Lynn Lake said in a Facebook post Tuesday morning residents and visitors must evacuate the community effective immediately due to a rapidly advancing wildfire. (Cameron MacIntosh/CBC)Residents of a northern Manitoba community have been ordered to leave town because of the “imminent threat” possed by a nearby wildfire.
The Town of Lynn Lake said in a Facebook post Tuesday morning residents and visitors must evacuate the community effective immediately due to a rapidly advancing wildfire.
The blaze, about five kilometres north of the community, was more than 7,000 hectares in size and was out of control as of Sunday, according to the provincial fire map.
The town said in an update Monday that Manitoba Wildfire Service crews were pulled back from the fire line due to extreme conditions, including wind gusts of up to 55 km/h.
Audie Dulewich, a volunteer firefighter, said he’s been working to build fire breaks in Lynn Lake over the last few days.
“We kind of got a fire that’s wrapped around the community pretty good and burning for several weeks already. But the winds were kind of southeast winds, driving it away from the community. And tomorrow, those winds are due to change,” Dulewich said Tuesday morning.
“There’s been plumes of smoke all around us for quite a while. Now, the sky is just filled with smoke, so you can’t really see the big plumes anymore.”
The evacuation notice said bus transportation is available for those without personal transportation, from West Lynn Heights School at 416 Sherrit Ave. A reception centre has been set up on the Thompson Regional Community Centre in Thompson.
Residents are being told to take identification, medications, necessary supplies, go bags and provisions for their pets.
Nearly 600 people lived in the town as of the 2021 census. Lynn Lake is nearly 815 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.
‘Preparing for the worst’The Manitoba government wildfire map shows 17 active wildfires in the province.
About 190 kilometres south of Lynn Lake, an out-of-control wildfire prompted an evacuation order in the community of Sherridon Monday.
Debi Hatch, who, along with her husband, brother and sister-in-law, is a member of the volunteer fire department at Sherridon, said resources are stretched thin.
“We’re just preparing for the worst, right?” she said. “The sprinkler systems, the fire truck is active. Wildfire services are doing what they can, I’m sure, with the stretched resources they have. And we’re seeing more and more of these big, huge fires.”
The wildfire near Sherridon was more than 6,000 hectares in size as of Sunday.
With files from Marjorie Dowhos
