A wildfire emergency in western Canada has now spread to a second province, forcing thousands to flee their homes as dry conditions fuel the crisis.
On Thursday, Saskatchewan declared a wildfire emergency, following neighboring Manitoba, which had already ordered 17,000 residents to evacuate remote communities. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe described the situation as “very serious,” warning that more evacuations may be necessary with no rain in the forecast. Around 4,000 people have already left their homes in Saskatchewan this week.
Manitoba declared a province-wide state of emergency late Wednesday, marking its worst start to wildfire season in years. Several small towns and Indigenous communities have been evacuated, with many evacuees arriving in Winnipeg after difficult overnight journeys. In some remote areas, the Canadian Air Force was deployed to assist with evacuations.
Winnipeg has opened emergency shelters for displaced families, many of whom arrived with little more than the clothes they were wearing. “People are exhausted,” said Luc Mullinder, head of the Manitoba Red Cross, noting the uncertainty evacuees face about the fate of their homes.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew called it the largest evacuation in recent memory, with wildfires now burning in every region of the province—a sign, he said, of a changing climate. Nearly 200,000 hectares of forest have burned in Manitoba in the past month, three times the five-year average.
Across Canada, 163 wildfires are currently active, with about half considered out of control. The mining town of Flin Flon, with 5,000 residents, is the largest community evacuated so far, as fires burned to within 500 meters of the town. Local officials report poor visibility and difficult conditions for firefighting efforts, with the situation remaining highly dependent on the weather.
