The wildfire situation has reached a desperate level in Flin Flon, Man., where the mayor says he and the few remaining people have been told to leave because the winds are changing and there’s nothing else they can do.
George Fontaine said he expects the worst.
“We’ve seen devastation across the country in different communities where this has happened, and there’s a very, very high potential that it’s going to happen here,” he told Heather Hiscox on CBC Morning Live on Friday, referring to what happened in Jasper, Alta., last summer.
“The prognosis that we’re hearing is that the winds are going to change and turn that fire back towards our community, and it could be very catastrophic if that happens,” he said. “It’s got a straight path into here.”
The fire is 40,000 hectares in size and less than 400 metres from the edge of the city, the city’s emergency measures spokesperson said.
There’s not even an option for a mitigation strategy, such as soaking structures with industrial sprinklers, Fontaine said.
“They’ve done what they can for the major things, like for our bulk fuel plants … but there is no equipment left. It’s all being used up [to fight fires in other places around the province]. There is none.”
Flin Flon, Man., mayor worries about shifting winds
Water bombers haven’t been able to help, because it’s too smoky for them to fly, Fontaine said.
“So, you know, everybody has to be gone, and then we’re going to have to just see what nature does,” he said. “Everyone’s really fearful.”
The vast majority of the city of about 5,000 in northeastern Manitoba was cleared out on Wednesday. Some members of city council and some civic employees and emergency responders had remained to monitor things and give updates on social media.
The winds had been favourable on Thursday, pushing the flames away from the city, but that’s about to change and everyone must get out today, Fontaine said.
“The wind isn’t set to shift to later in the day, so that should give us time to drive out. Once we drive away, that’s it. I’m not sure when we’ll be able to come back in here — when or if,” he said.
“I don’t want to sugarcoat anything. I’d love to be back on the … TV with you sometime in the near future and say, wow, we’ve dodged a bullet. But at this particular point in time, you know, it’s not looking good at all.”
And there’s only one way out for those who remain. The road to the west, across the border into Creighton, Sask., is blocked by the fire, and Highway 10 to The Pas is also blocked by flames now.
The latter route was the one evacuees took out of Flin Flon on Thursday.
“So we have to head from where we are to Snow Lake and then down south towards Grand Rapids and to Winnipeg that way,” Fontaine said.
At this point, he doesn’t know if anyone in Flin Flon has decided to ignore evacuation orders and hide. He urges anyone who might be doing that to get on the bus that is set to take away the last people at 11 a.m. CT.
“If not, they’re going to be at mercy of whatever nature brings,” he said.
“If this goes the way that it’s projected it could go — we’ve seen the pictures of communities like Jasper — and there’d be nowhere to go.”
Are you an evacuee who needs assistance? Contact Manitoba 211 by calling 211 from anywhere in Manitoba or email [email protected].
