Wildfire situation improving in Manitoba, evacuees hope to return home soon

SANDILANDS, Man. - Wildfires continue to burn in southeastern Manitoba, but the threat of flames engulfing two communities is lessening.

The province announced Sunday that evacuation orders had been lifted in several more communities, including an order for Woodridge. The community was threatened by a blaze that scorched nearly 200 square kilometres.

But David Schafer, acting fire commissioner for Manitoba, said that blaze was still burning too close to Sandilands and that it wasn't safe for residents of the village to return.

"It's been a while since I flew over it, but I would say the fire is within a kilometre of the community," Schafer said.

Duane Boutang, who is the reeve of the Rural Municipality of Piney, said the situation is "getting more and more under control."

The reeve said weather conditions in the area have improved and fire crews are working to dump more water on the flames. He said winds have now died and the humidity in the area has increased, which makes residents "hopeful."

Boutang said those forced to leave their homes because of the fires are staying with friends or in Winnipeg hotels and are anxiously waiting to go home.

He said they are "coping the best they can."

Evacuation orders in the neighbouring Rural Municipality of Stuartburn were also lifted Sunday, allowing residents of Caliento and Lonesand to go home.

The huge blaze in the province's southeast began on Thursday and was fuelled by bone-dry conditions and southerly winds that reached 90 km/h on Friday. By Saturday, firefighters caught a break as the wind dropped and a westerly breeze blew cooler air though the region.

But the area really needs rain. Following a wet spring which led to flooding, there hasn't been any significant precipitation since the start of June.

"It's critically dry. We haven't had any appreciable rainfall since this started. We had a very small sprinkle in that first evening but I don't think that even got to all parts of the fire," Schafer said.

"It's still a drought. It's still in a critical situation."

Schafer called the co-operation to contain the huge fires in the southeast "one of the largest, if not the largest, displays of mutual aid the province has seen in a long, long time," noting over two dozen communities and local fire departments worked together.

Fires have also been burning in a cottage area northeast of Winnipeg but the province says no buildings have been destroyed. Another blaze continues to burn in Riding Mountain National Park in western Manitoba, which originally began as a controlled burn.

Across the province, the smoke and flames have forced the closure of several highways.