More than 700 people at a northern Manitoba First Nation were still waiting to be evacuated as of Thursday morning.
Chief David Monias of Pimicikamak Cree Nation told Global Winnipeg many people have escaped the flames and are safe in Norway House. However, a number of others are still waiting to flee a nearby wildfire.
Many of those who have fled Pimicikamak, Monias said, arrived at Norway House by car or bus, but there are limited escape routes from his community, so concerns remain for those who have yet to make the trip.
The wildfire situation has left Pimicikamak’s airport non-operational.
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“We’re very fortunate, and I thank Norway House chief and council and their staff for receiving our people and putting them up at their multiplex and having some of them billeted and feeding them the best way they can,” Monias said.
“It’s very dangerous … our escape route toward Highway 6 was cut off, so we only had the escape route to Norway House.”
The area, however, is set to get a helping hand from the Canadian military, the chief said.
“We just got notified early this morning, that there will be a Hercules (aircraft) that’s going to be landing in Norway House.”
Pimicikimak and Mathias Colomb First Nations, along with the city of Flin Flon, were among the northern communities issued mandatory evacuation orders on Wednesday afternoon in what Premier Wab Kinew called “the largest evacuation in many Manitobans’ living memory.”
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