Fire Bulletin #6

Due to extreme fire conditions in eastern Manitoba, out of an abundance of caution to help ensure the safety of Manitobans, the province is closing Whiteshell Provincial Park.

All access to the Whiteshell Provincial Park will be restricted as of 9 a.m. Thursday, May 15. This includes all public and private developed areas in Whiteshell Provincial Park including cottage subdivisions, commercial areas, campgrounds, group use, day use and all recreational areas including trails, beaches, backcountry areas, canoe routes and campsites.

All park users, including full-time residents, commercial operators and cottagers, along with campers at various provincial park campgrounds, must leave the park by 1 p.m. Thursday, May 15.

Full-time residents are asked to register in person with Manitoba Parks staff beginning Thursday at 9 a.m. at their nearest reception centre:

• Whiteshell Community Club, Provincial Road (PR) 301 in Falcon Lake
• Rennie Community Club, Provincial Trunk Highway (PTH) 44 in Rennie
• Eastman Snopals Garage (junction of PR 307 and Waterline Road)

Permanent residents who are unable to register in person are asked to call 204-340-6769. Only full-time residents must register. Cottagers and campers do not have to check in.

The closure of Whiteshell Provincial Park will remain in effect until conditions improve.

All campgrounds in Whiteshell Provincial Park will remain closed until at least Wednesday, May 21. The Parks Reservation Service will contact all affected reservation holders.

Additionally, closures remain in place for Nopiming, Pinawa Dam, Poplar Bay, Wallace Lake, South Atikaki and Manigotagan River provincial parks due to a state of local emergency (SOLE). These parks will remain closed to the public until conditions improve.

The following areas are affected by an evacuation order in Nopiming Provincial Park:

• Bird, Booster, Davidson and Flanders lakes in south Nopiming – cottagers, commercial resort and lodge operators, backcountry users and campers;
• Long and Beresford lakes in north Nopiming – cottagers, commercial resort and lodge operators, backcountry users and campers; and
• Wallace Lake, South Atikaki and Manigotagan River – cottagers, residents, commercial resort and lodge operators, backcountry users and campers.

All public and private developed areas in Nopiming, Wallace Lake, South Atikaki and Manigotagan River provincial parks including cottage subdivisions, commercial areas, campgrounds, group use, day use and all recreational areas including trails, beaches, backcountry canoe routes and campsites are closed to the public.

For updates on the closures and fire restrictions in provincial parks, visit www.manitobaparks.com. Over the Victoria Day long weekend, Manitobans are urged to carefully consider their plans for activities in provincial parks. Check www.manitobaparks.com  for an updated list of closures and restrictions before leaving home.

The public is reminded the use of drones near forest fires is prohibited by Transport Canada. Drones interfere with fire-fighting responses and put all water bomber, helicopter and ground crews at risk. Learn more at www.gov.mb.ca/nrnd/wildfire_program/index.html.

If a drone is spotted near a wildfire, the public is asked to get a description of the drone and its operator if possible and immediately report it to the local RCMP at www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/detach/en/find/MB.

For further information on the Manitoba Wildfire Service, situation updates, restrictions and other important wildfire links, go to www.gov.mb.ca/wildfire/ or follow the Manitoba government on X (formerly Twitter) at https://twitter.com/mbgov.

To report a wildfire, call 911 or the TIP line toll-free at 1-800-782-0076.

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION ATTACHED