Winnipeg Free Press By: Sarah Lawrynuik | Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Friday, Jul. 23, 2021 Save to Read Later
For several days in the summer of 2017 residents of southwestern Alberta waited with bated breath as the smoky haze filled their homes and lungs the Kenow wildfire was blazing its way through eastern British Columbia near the U.S. border towards Waterton Lakes National Park in their corner of the province.
For several days in the summer of 2017 residents of southwestern Alberta waited with bated breath as the smoky haze filled their homes and lungs the Kenow wildfire was blazing its way through eastern British Columbia near the U.S. border towards Waterton Lakes National Park in their corner of the province.
It s not so much the number of fires, but their intensity, he says. We have to be careful and pick the right fires to attack so we can do it safely and not put our crews in jeopardy, he said.
With much of western Canada and northwestern Ontario in a similar situation, getting additional resources has been challenging, as there is only so much equipment and so many firefighters to go around.
Help on the way
The arrival of Canadian Armed Forces personnel on Friday should help.
Schafer says they will be tasked with extinguishing hot spots in fires that are close to being extinguished to free up other firefighters to battle more difficult blazes.
What has quickly become an annual tradition begins tonight with the opening ceremony for Flags For Heroes, a display of American flags located on the .
Winnipeg Free Press
Last Modified: 7:39 PM CDT Thursday, May. 13, 2021 | Updates Save to Read Later
The Manitoba Wildfire Service works to extinguish a 125-acre fire near Falcon Lake. (Alex Lupul / Winnipeg Free Press)
As firefighters struggled to extinguish a 125-acre wildfire that has destroyed six RV trailers near Falcon Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park, the province issued a ban on backcountry trails and water routes Thursday because of extremely dry conditions.
As firefighters struggled to extinguish a 125-acre wildfire that has destroyed six RV trailers near Falcon Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park, the province issued a ban on backcountry trails and water routes Thursday because of extremely dry conditions.
The fire damaged about a half dozen trailers and RVs being kept in a storage compound, but no other properties were damaged, he said.
Crews have also managed to contain a wildfire near the RM of Piney in southeast Manitoba that started last weekend. Schafer said crews will likely be there for a couple more days to put out hot spots but said the blaze is under control.
Campfires banned, trails closed
The province announced Thursday it was banning campfires and backcountry camping while also closing several trails due to the risk of wildfires.
The ban applies to travellers on foot, bikes, ATVs and in boats, and covers thousands of square kilometres, mostly in a broad curve of the province that extends from the Ontario border to the Saskatchewan border west of Duck Mountain Provincial Park.