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Emergency responders are fighting dozens of wildfires in Canada as thousands have fled their homes in Manitoba
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The province is now on its third day of a state of emergency. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinu said Friday the 17,000 evacuees from Manitoba have mostly made their way to Winnipeg
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as nearly two dozen wildfires rage in the province. Members of the Canadian Armed Forces are transporting evacuees via helicopter out of a community located north of Flin Flon, a town on the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border
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We do expect some very, very challenging conditions in Flin Flon and in the surrounding community, particularly later this afternoon
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The situation there is very, very serious and we are doing everything that we can to preserve life, but also to preserve people's livelihoods
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and homes in the region. Firefighters are having difficulty controlling the fire
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Water bombers, aircraft used to drop water on the fires, have had to pause operations at times because of thick smoke and a drone entering restricted airspace the Associated Press reported The U has sent 125 American firefighters to help fight the blazes
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That's 100 firefighters proper and then 25 managerial workers who will be able to provide logistical supports
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And now turning to our neighbors from the south to help us in our time of need
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not too long after we had a Winnipeg firefighter in Los Angeles helping Americans during their time
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of need. It really does just underline how serious the situation is. According to the Canadian
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government, as of Friday, 57 uncontrolled wildfires are burning across the country
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19 are being held, 40 are considered controlled, and 19 are with modified responses. Officials say
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the weather has been the biggest obstacle in getting the fires under control. They're expecting
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the winds to pick up Friday night, which could cause the fires to expand or even change direction
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Saskatchewan is also under a state of emergency where more than 8,000 Canadians have fled
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For Straight Arrow News, I'm Lauren Keenan. If you want more on this story, download the Straight Arrow News app or visit san.com
