Wildfire evacuees have landed in Brandon and checked into local hotels as they flee their homes in Manitoba’s north.
Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett said on Friday afternoon he had not received any further updates since the previous day’s estimates of about 300 evacuees in the city.
The Clarion Inn and the Colonial Inn were accommodating evacuees when the Sun visited Friday morning to speak with members from affected communities.
Pukatawagan resident Darcy Colomb said he arrived on Thursday night. He is staying in the Clarion Inn while he receives updates from friends and family on Facebook, some of whom are staying back home.
“It’s always hard waiting,” said Colomb. “I still got a daughter and a couple grandkids stuck behind.”
The airport in Pukatawagan, otherwise known as Mathias Colomb, was shut down Thursday as wildfires burned nearby and sent smoke into the area. Colomb said he believes his family members would start flying out again Friday.
“I would have loved to stay and help with the fire, but I got a heart condition.”
The evacuation was hectic and seemed disorganized, but overall the Red Cross has done a great job in supporting the evacuees, he said.
In a press conference Friday afternoon, Premier Wab Kinew said the situation had worsened in northern areas ravaged by wildfires.
“In the city of Flin Flon, a final evacuation has occurred,” said Kinew. “Mayor and council have made the decision that conditions there today are so serious that even those last few workers and officials needed to leave town.”
Colomb said he thought the province was caught by surprise by the wildfires, which hit earlier than last year.
At the Colonial Inn on Friday morning, staff told the Sun that roughly 80 evacuees were staying inside.
Lynn Lake evacuee Jamal Colomb, 18, said he is comfortable in Brandon, and that the evacuation flight was organized and well managed. He arrived on Tuesday along with residents of his community and family members.
Jamal said his only concern was not knowing how long the evacuation will last.
“That is my thing,” said Jamal. “We don’t know how long we’ll be here … Two weeks, three weeks, a month?”
Jamal said the process was smooth and that the evacuees were well taken care of.
As for life back home, other Lynn Lake residents told the Sun the community receives updates every day.
A woman told the Sun that she just learned a resident back home, in charge of looking after the neighbourhood dogs, was able to travel to Thompson and secure pet food.
Most updates on the wildfires are coming through social media posts from friends and family, she said, some who are still back home.
In an email to the Sun, Red Cross spokesperson Jason Small said Red Cross is providing registration, reception and information, emergency accommodations, meals and personal services to evacuees.
He encouraged the public to donate through the 2025 Manitoba Wildfires Appeal, which will go a variety of causes such as ongoing aid, support for evacuees and host communities, and future disaster preparedness.
Small did not provide a number when asked by the Sun how many evacuees are in town, saying the number is likely to change.
”With various communities impacted, this is a fluid situation, as the number of people we support keeps evolving,” he said.
Fawcett said Winnipeg, Thompson and Portage la Prairie appear to be the main hubs accommodating wildfire evacuees.
