‘Ashes falling like snow’: New evacuations due to Manitoba wildfires

A wildfire near Flin Flon, Man. is shown on May 27, 2025. (Submitted: Manitoba Government)

A new area of Manitoba’s north is now under a mandatory evacuation order due to large-scale wildfires having knocked out power which may compromise basic services.

The Rural Municipality of Kelsey which includes Cranberry-Portage, joins a long list of communities, towns, cities and First Nations having to flee the north.

At least 430 people have been told to evacuate the area about 600 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg by 3 p.m. on Saturday.

“It is orange,” said Lori Forbes, a municipal emergency coordinator for the RM.

“Ashes falling like snow. It is unbelievable, the smoke and the ash. You get up in the morning and your car is dusted with ash. The smoke burns your throat and it’s something like I’ve never seen in my years up here.”

The residents join the more than 17,000 people who have been ordered to evacuate to Winnipeg due to fires raging across the province.

-With files from CTV’s Alex Karpa