Boaters reminded water bombers have right of way

Emergency officials in Lac du Bonnet and Bird River are warning the public to stay out of the way of water bomber planes over the weekend, as the battle against wildfires across the province continues.

Anyone boating in the two areas, where two wildfires are burning, are being reminded that water bombers have the right of way on all bodies of water.

“We understand it is the weekend and you want to be on the water like normal in your boat. But it is not normal. We have a major fire that water bombers are working,” reads a joint social media post from Lac du Bonnet’s emergency coordinator and Bird River fire chief.

The officials said RCMP marine officers are in the area and will not tolerate “irresponsible dangerous boating activity,” which it said will be investigated as dangerous operation of a vessel under shipping legislation.

One of the fires, about a kilometre from Bird River, is burning about 105,000 hectares and is considered out of control.

Mandatory evacuation orders remain in place in Pointe du Bois, Nopiming Provincial Park and the Rural Municipality of Alexander, the provincial wildfire service said Friday.

The Tanco Mine also remains evacuated and an evacuation order remains in place for Wallace Lake Cottage Association.

Another fire, which is about six km from Lac du Bonnet, is burning around 4,000 ha but is currently being held.

“The wildfires in eastern Manitoba are large and complex,” the fire officials said.

“Both (the fire) in the Nopiming area and (the fire) in the Whiteshell are expected to remain active through the weekend. Weather forecasts are not favourable with warm, dry conditions and no rain in the foreseeable future.”

The RM of Lac du Bonnet has lifted evacuation orders, while evacuation orders in parts of the RM of Alexander have been lifted, including in all of Pinawa Bay, Sunset Bay, Poplar Bay Road and Poplar Bay Provincial Park Campground. Road access may still be restricted.

Another fire of about 32,000 ha, which sparked near Ingolf, Ont., is also being suppressed, allowing parts of Whiteshell Provincial Park to reopen. The wildfire service warned more work is needed before additional reopenings can begin.

Fires are also burning near Opaskwayak Cree Nation and The Pas, Cranberry Portage, Sherridon, the Town of Lynn Lake and Cross Lake.

All fires, including campfires in pits and charcoal barbecues, are banned at all times in every provincial park. Fireworks and sky lanterns are also prohibited.

The province has called in resources from other jurisdictions to help.

A fleet of water bombers from Alberta and 58 firefighters from that province are in Manitoba, as are 41 firefighters and 500 sprinkler systems from British Columbia. Federal Parks Canada has supplied 19 firefighters.

In Winnipeg, city firefighters had to douse two grass fires on Wednesday.

Firefighters were sent to the 300 block of Cree Crescent in the Murray Industrial Park at about 5:55 p.m. and saw that nearby homes were in the path of a fire. Crews had the fire under control by 8 p.m.

Earlier, crews were sent to a grass fire near the 1800 block of Wabasha Street at 2:18 p.m. and declared the blaze under control by 3:44 p.m., the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service said.

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The wildfire was the second in Transcona in a little more than a week.

On May 12, a fire damaged properties along Gunn Road, less than two kilometres to the north of the Wabasha fire.

Fire crews have responded to more than 300 grass fires within city limits in 2024.

A two-week fire ban within Winnipeg expired Monday evening.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca