WINNIPEG — Residents who were forced to flee from wildfires burning in northern Manitoba say they had little time to pack before racing from the community.
Gladys Thomas lives in Easterville, about 450 kilometers north of Winnipeg, and says the only thing she brought with her to Winnipeg is her purse.
RAW: Cassandra Chartrand recorded flames and smoke near Easterville, Manitoba and Chemawawin First Nation
“I didn’t even have time to pack, they just told me to go,go,go.” Thomas said.
She was responsible for driving the bus bringing evacuees out of the area.
Three wildfires prompted evacuations of Easterville and Chemawawin First Nation Thursday.
Edward Thomas saw a water bombing dropping water over a plume of smoke near his house before he was evacuated Thursday.
“It looked almost like a volcano erupted,” Thomas said. “Everyone was just running around all scared. Kids were crying and everything.
The wildfires have reached within half a kilometre of the communities.
Approximately 2, 070 people will be evacuated; 2,000 from Chemawawin First Nation will be heading to Winnipeg and 70 from Easterville will head to The Pas.
The Canadian Red Cross is assisting with the evacuation of the residents from Chemawawin First Nation. The entire population of the First Nation will be evacuated to Winnipeg by car and bus where they will stay at hotels, according to a release from Red Cross Thursday evening.
Ground crews and water bombers continue to battle the fires.
According to the Province of Manitoba’s website, two of the wildfires were started by lightning and the third by humans.
Easterville and Chemawawin First Nation are approximately 460 kilometres north of Winnipeg.