Firefighting efforts continue near Bird River

A wildfire burns near Bird River Bible Camp in eastern Manitoba. (Southland Church)

Crews in the Rural Municipality of Alexander continue to battle a colossal wildfire in the region on Saturday morning.

In an update posted on social media, the rural municipality’s emergency coordinator said firefighters are focused on protecting buildings and infrastructure from the wildfire spanning approximately 100,000 hectares. The coordinator noted no structures have been destroyed in the area as of Saturday morning.

“There have been water bombers going regularly, and the rain has certainly helped,” the coordinator wrote. “The fire crews are also working to contain the fires between [provincial road] 315 and [provincial road] 313 with heavy equipment working near the edge of the fire.”

Those efforts by firefighting crews have spared Bird River Bible Camp from the fire’s path of destruction.

“We have been closely monitoring our camp through our security camera system and are deeply grateful for the swift and diligent work of local firefighters,” Bird River Bible Camp staff told CTV News in an email. “They set up and continue to monitor protective measures—including sprinklers and hoses—to protect our buildings.”

Evacuation orders are still intact for residents living in the area.