BREAKING: 2,000 Residents Stranded as Wildfire Closes In on Pukatawagan, Manitoba
A fast-moving wildfire is now burning less than 1 km from Pukatawagan, home to Mathias Colomb Cree Nation, where approximately 2,000 people are currently stranded. The community has no summer road access and is normally only reachable by train or air both of which are now cut off
The Keewatin Railway line is too close to the flames to safely operate, and the local airport is shut down due to heavy smoke and near-zero visibility. While the Canadian Armed Forces are airlifting evacuees by helicopter, each helicopter can carry only six people at a time, and resources are stretched thin.
Efforts to evacuate the town are growing more urgent, as winds are expected to shift overnight, potentially pushing the fire directly toward the community. Nearby, The Pas hospital is under Code Orange, preparing for a possible mass casualty event.
Local officials and community members are calling for immediate federal air support to accelerate evacuations and prevent what could become a major humanitarian disaster.
Thanks for being a 24/7 journalist ......this is a sad one.
Would it be safe for people to take to boats before being cutoff by the fire? I haven't looked at their region, but believe the north has many lakes.
We will pray for favourable winds and rain, too.