
Manitoba emergency officials to give wildfire update at 12:45 p.m.
Emergency officials are set to give an update on wildfires in Manitoba, after at least seven homes in Tataskweyak Cree Nation burned on Friday and the largest city in the province's north was placed on evacuation watch.
CBC Manitoba will livestream the 12:45 p.m. news conference here and on CBC Gem.
The Town of Leaf Rapids has declared a local state of emergency and told its residents they have 24 hours to get out of the northern community, about 155 kilometres northwest of Thompson, in a Facebook post Monday morning. The population of Leaf Rapids was about 350 people in the 2021 census.
About 115 kilometres northeast of Thompson, at least seven houses were razed by flames that spread quickly amid heavy winds in Tataskweyak on Friday, chief and council said in a social media post on Saturday.
Meanwhile, a fire burning north of Thompson has that city on edge, and Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, about 65 kiloimetres to the west, called a local state of emergency Sunday.
The fire threatening Thompson started on Friday and was about seven hectares in size when discovered that morning. By Sunday evening it had grown to 6,000 hectares, Thompson Mayor Colleen Smook said on Monday morning.
As of now, there are no evacuations happening for the city of roughly 13,000, but Smook has advised residents to gas up their vehicles and to pack medications, food and other necessities, in case they have to suddenly leave.
Should that happen, "it'll be a big ordeal," Smook said.
"We don't have the capacity to put everybody through the gas stations at once," she said.
The flames were most recently about eight kilometres away from the city, and heavy machinery was being used to create fire breaks, Smook said. More firefighting crews arrived Sunday night from Winnipeg to help.
Some of them are working to ensure the airport is safe and accessible, she said.
"We are very lucky that it's not tracking to the city, with our wind at the moment. We've got very little wind this week, but you know, come the end of the week, it could be a different story," she said.
"There's no need to panic at this time, but yet there is a preparedness that we are trying to push through."
City authorities and emergency personnel are having regular meetings, with the next one planned for early Monday afternoon, Smook said. She urged residents to pay attention to the City of Thompson's Facebook page.
"We'll keep everybody updated on just what they need to do."
Manitoba lifted a provincewide state of emergency two weeks ago amid improving conditions overall, though several communities that remained on high alert have been forced to leave over the past week — some for the second time since the end of May.
Lynn Lake emptied out on Friday after a mandatory evacuation order, about five weeks after the community of 600 originally emptied out, amid a fresh wildfire threat. They boarded buses and planes and have mostly settled at hotels in Brandon.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CTV News
26 minutes ago
- CTV News
Heat warning issued for southeastern Manitoba
Heat warning for southeastern Manitoba is shown on Environment and Climate Change Canada's map. Uploaded July 26, 2025. (Environment and Climate Change Canada) A heat warning has been issued to southeastern Manitoba. On Saturday, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued a heat warning to communities of southeastern Manitoba. 'Hot and humid conditions will be in place over portions of southern Manitoba on Saturday, with humidex values reaching 38 during the afternoon,' the warning read. 'Drink water often and before you feel thirsty to replace fluids.' ECCC advised that symptoms may include headache, nausea, dizziness, thirst, dark urine and intense fatigue and recommended to stop activity and hydrate, if such sign shows. The agency added that if anyone is showing signs of heat stroke, such as red and hot skin, dizziness, nausea, confusion and change in consciousness, call 9-1-1 or emergency health provider. 'While you wait for medical attention, try to cool the person by moving them to a cool place, removing extra clothing, applying cold water or ice packs around the body,' ECCC's advisory read. Conditions are expected to improve over Saturday night, with a cold front passing through.


CTV News
26 minutes ago
- CTV News
Large sinkhole forms on Sudbury's Lorne Street, now repaired
Northern Ontario Watch Viewer photos show a large sinkhole spotted near the Country Style on Lorne Street in Greater Sudbury on Friday evening. The viewer tells CTV News that the hole was reported to the city and has since been patched.


CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Wildfire burns through northern suburb of Greece's capital Athens and residents are told to evacuate
Firefighters try to extinguish a fire at a house during a wildfire, in the northwestern suburb of Kryoneri, in Athens, Greece, Saturday, July 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) ATHENS, Greece — A wildfire burned through a northern suburb of the Greek capital of Athens on Saturday and some residents were ordered to evacuate, the country's Fire Service reported. Residents of the town of Kryoneri, 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) northeast of Athens received 3 SMS messages to evacuate to safe areas, Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyannis told reporters. Greek media have shown houses on fire. The spokesman said 'there have been reports of damages. We will take stock when the fires have been put out.' 'The real difficulties are ahead of us,' Vathrakoyannis said, adding that Greece has asked for six firefighting planes from the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism. On site, 145 firefighters and 44 fire engines, 10 firefighting planes and seven helicopters are attempting to put out the fire, whose origin is unknown. Four ambulances are treating at least five residents, most of them elderly with respiratory problems. Temperatures reaching, or exceeding, 38 C (100 degrees Fahrenheit), dry conditions and high winds are fanning the flames. Under such conditions wildfires 'expand very quickly and become dangerous. These conditions are expected to prevail over the coming days,' Vathrakoyannis said. The fire service is also dealing with three other major fires in the southwest on Greece's two largest islands — Crete in the south and Evia north of Athens — and also on the island of Kythera, northwest of Crete. At least 335 firefighters, 19 planes and 13 helicopters are involved, but can only operate in daylight. In total, 52 wildfires broke out across the country over the past 24 hours, the spokesman said. Wildfires, many of them destructive, have become a common occurrence in Greece in recent years. Several have broken out in the past month.