Media Information Update : Manitoba and Saskatchewan Wildfires

Press Release

July 24, 2025

In this issue:

• Registration numbers
• Assistance provided
• Additional Support including flights
• Donation updates
• Preparedness information
• Fraud Alert
• Useful resources for people impacted by wildfires

Manitoba Wildfires

On behalf of the Province of Manitoba, and through a standing agreement with Indigenous Services Canada, the Canadian Red Cross is supporting people and communities impacted by evacuations in Manitoba.

This is a fast-moving and evolving response, and the Red Cross is working closely with community leadership, the Government of Manitoba and/or Indigenous Services Canada to provide support to people impacted by wildfires.

As of July 18, the Canadian Red Cross is providing support to the following communities, as requested and directed by the community, Government of Manitoba and/or Indigenous Services Canada:

• Garden Hill Anisininew First Nation
• Leaf Rapids
• Lynn Lake
• Marcel Colomb First Nation
• Mathias Colomb Cree Nation (Pukatawagan)
• O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation (South Indian Lake)
• Pimicikamak Cree Nation (Cross Lake)
• Snow Lake
• Saint Theresa Point First Nation (select members have been re-evacuated as of July 10 after previously returning home)
• Tataskweyak Cree Nation
• Wasagamack First Nation (select members have been re-evacuated as of July 10 after previously returning home).

Canadian Red Cross support may include registration, reception and information, personal services, lodging, emergency supplies, and transportation, as requested.

People who have had to re-evacuate do not have to register again with the Canadian Red Cross.

Registration numbers

As of July 18, the Canadian Red Cross has registered more than 27,600 people from more than 10,800 households evacuated due to the wildfires in Manitoba. This includes people from more than 6,000 households on behalf of Indigenous Services Canada, and more than 4,800 households on behalf of the Province of Manitoba.

Financial assistance

Financial assistance is being provided to evacuees by either the Canadian Red Cross or the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO).

Financial assistance for individuals living in a First Nation community that is under mandatory evacuation order is being distributed by MKO.

On behalf of the Government of Manitoba, financial assistance for households evacuated from municipalities and non-First Nations communities is being distributed by the Canadian Red Cross.

The Government of Manitoba has determined funding amounts and eligibility for financial assistance, available for households that:

• Are permanent residents of Manitoba;
• Have a primary residence in a municipality or a non-First Nation community that has been placed under a mandatory evacuation order due to wildfire or smoke, issued on or after May 23, 2025;
• Have registered with the Canadian Red Cross; and
• Had their identity validated through the Canadian Red Cross.

The Red Cross began processing financial assistance to households on June 7. We continue to work closely with the province to resolve exceptional cases and validate eligibility. We understand this may be a stressful time and our teams are working as quickly as possible to distribute financial assistance to eligible households.

Answers to frequently asked questions related to financial assistance can be found here.

Ongoing support

The Canadian Red Cross is:

• Providing registration, information and well-being support at reception sites in Brandon, Thompson and Winnipeg.
• Providing emergency accommodation in hotels for people who remain evacuated or have had to re-evacuate.
• Operating and coordinating logistics forcongregate shelters in Winnipeg.
• Working directly with all impacted communities to support health, mental health, and wellbeing needs of evacuated community members in Manitoba. This includes providing non-clinical Health Navigators to help support people impacted by the wildfire evacuations with access to health support they need, as well as providing designated areas for child-friendly spaces.
• Provided emergency supplies such as cots, blankets, and generators, for an additional 12 shelter sites in First Nation and non-First Nation communities in Manitoba, as requested.
• Provided urgent supplies for communities that remain in place, such as food, air purifiers, and other requested equipment.
• Secured more than 2,400 hotel rooms for evacuees in Manitoba (as of July 18).

Additional Support

Coordinated the scheduling of flights and buses and engaged with other partners to secure modes of transportation for the arrival of people being evacuated into Winnipeg, and for those who returned home, where possible. This includes more than 470 flights, carrying more than 6,000 passengers.

The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the largest emergency response organization in the world. The strength of the Red Cross and Red Crescent is our combination of community-based and global support.

Due to the evacuations and risk of further evacuations, the Canadian Red Cross has reached out to the American Red Cross for additional support for shelter operations in Manitoba.

This isn’t the first time the Canadian and American Red Cross have worked together to support people impacted by major emergencies. Our American counterparts supported the southern Alberta Flood response in 2013 and the wildfire response in Fort McMurray in 2016. Canadian Red Cross responders have also supported in American operations such as Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Matthew and others.

Donations

As of July 18, the Canadian Red Cross has raised $9 million for the 2025 Manitoba Wildfires Appeal. This amount does not include matching funds from the Government of Canada or the Government of Manitoba.

Saskatchewan Wildfires

The Canadian Red Cross is working closely with Indigenous leadership as well as federal, provincial and municipal governments to support individuals, families and communities impacted by the wildfires in Saskatchewan. The support offered to date has been at the request of community leadership and through a standing agreement with Indigenous Services Canada.

Registration numbers

As of July 22, the Canadian Red Cross has registered more than 10,600 people from more than 3,800 households evacuated due to the wildfires in Saskatchewan. This support is offered to evacuated community members of Lac La Ronge Indian Band and Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation at the request of community leadership and through a standing agreement with Indigenous Services Canada.

Assistance Provided

As many residents of impacted communities have been able to return home, the Red Cross continues to work closely with Indigenous leadership as well as federal, provincial and municipal governments to support individuals, families, and communities impacted by the wildfires in Saskatchewan.

• Support for Lac La Ronge Indian Band and Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation community members whose homes have been damaged due to wildfires or are unable to return home due to wildfire risk continue to be available in Saskatoon.
• This includes community members from Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation who were evacuated from the community of Kinoosao on July 2 and are receiving Red Cross support.
• The Canadian Red Cross is providing registration, reception and information, emergency accommodation, meals, and personal services, as well as operating a call-centre, for people who are still evacuated from their homes located within the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, as well as the Lac La Ronge Indian Band communities.
• The Canadian Red Cross continues to operate reception centres in Saskatoon.

Donations

As of July 10, the Canadian Red Cross has raised more than $3.7 million for the 2025 Saskatchewan Wildfires Appeal. This amount is inclusive of donations pledged or received and does not include matching funds from the Government of Canada. Matching funds will be applied to the total amount as they become available to the Canadian Red Cross at a later date. The donation total also does not include the funds committed from the Government of Saskatchewan for the Canadian Red Cross to work with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency to assist those most impacted by the wildfires. The application of those committed funds is currently being discussed and will be determined by the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.

Helpful Resources

Preparedness:

The Red Cross urges people to follow directions from their local authorities and to take the necessary steps to stay safe.

• Families living in areas on evacuation alerts should be ready to leave their homes at a moment’s notice.
• The Red Cross recommends people set aside an emergency kit with items such as drinking water, food, cash, and a portable radio to self-sustain their household for at least three days.

Additional resources on what to do before, during, and after a wildfire can be found at Wildfires: Before, During and After.

Fraud Alert:

Individuals eligible for financial assistance will NOT need to provide their social insurance number, bank account information or credit card number during their registration or to receive assistance. In addition, the Red Cross will NOT ask for any form of payment in order to receive assistance.

The Canadian Red Cross communicates only via email, phone, or in person and would never send a link through a text message. If anyone has any doubts about the legitimacy of any form of communication from us, please reach out to the Red Cross.

The Red Cross encourages people to stay informed from credible sources, such as the Government of Canada’s website for fraud prevention tips. For anyone who suspects they have been a victim of fraudulent activity, please contact the local police authority.

Tips for avoiding donation scams
Why misinformation is dangerous, especially during emergencies
Coping with Crisis: expected reactions to abnormal events

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