Evacuation orders end for parts of Whiteshell Provincial Park

Officers stationed at the entrance to Falcon Lake assisting with the evacuation. (Danton Unger/CTV News)

Manitobans will be able to return to parts of Whiteshell Provincial Park as some evacuation orders have been lifted.

According to the Manitoba government’s latest fire bulletin, the wildfire along the Ontario border and inside the provincial park remains out of control, however, some progress has been made.

Ken Pickering, with the Whiteshell Cottagers Association, said as of Wednesday at 9 a.m., closures have ended for Falcon and Barren lakes in south Whiteshell.

Closures have also ended for parts of north Whiteshell including Sylvia Lake, Eleanor Lake, Dorothy Lake, Otter Falls, Barrier Bay, Nutimik Lake and Betula Lake.

All other areas, including Pointe du Bois, remain closed.

“There’s still some risks that Manitoba Wildfire Services need to get a handle on,” he said.

Provincial Road 307 has reopened to local traffic from Seven Sisters east to Betula Lake.

Whiteshell campgrounds, including seasonal camping trails and backcountry areas, are still closed. A full fire ban is also in place.

Reservations for all campgrounds in the park are being cancelled up to and including May 29.

The state of local emergency for Whiteshell Provincial Park remains in effect.

- With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagacé