Wildfire evacuees continue returning home in Manitoba, Saskatchewan

Thousands of Manitobans forced to evacuate due to wildfires are returning home. Jeff Keele reports.

WINNIPEG — Wildfire evacuees continued to make their way home in some Manitoba communities Tuesday, but there were hurdles.

Tataskweyak Cree Nation lifted its evacuation order Monday evening, then told the community's 2,400 residents Tuesday morning the return was being delayed due to problems with the water system.

"Water tests came back (with) high aluminum. The pipes and reservoir will need to be cleaned and samples taken after the cleaning," said a message posted on the chief and council's Facebook page.

An evacuation order also was lifted Tuesday for the dozens of evacuees from Bissett, near the Manitoba-Ontario boundary. They were forced out last month by a wildfire near Nopiming Provincial Park.

Residents in Flin Flon, one of the largest communities evacuated, were still waiting for the fire threat to diminish before they could be allowed to return.

An out-of-control fire covering roughly 3,700 square kilometres continued to burn north and east of the city of 5,000 people.

Manitoba’s latest report said crews were battling 18 fires, eight of which were out of control.

At the peak of evacuations, about 21,000 residents were out of their homes, putting pressure on the province’s supply of hotel rooms and prompting Premier Wab Kinew's government to encourage tourists to reconsider Manitoba travel plans.

A third of those evacuees came from the Pimicikamak Cree Nation in the north-central region.

They have started returning home, as are residents in Snow Lake, Sherridon and Herb Lake Landing.

Rain and cooler temperatures have brought relief to both Manitoba and Saskatchewan in recent days, allowing fire bans to be reduced and more evacuees to go home.

In Saskatchewan, the province reported 13 active fires, with three out of control.

Saskatchewan Public Safety Minister Tim McLeod said Monday that people across 34 communities were in the process of returning.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 17, 2025.

— With files from Jeremy Simes in Regina

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press