Leaf Rapids wildfires top 30,000 hectares as firefighters, essential workers forced to flee

All firefighters and essential workers have been ordered to evacuate Leaf Rapids, Manitoba, after a wildfire burning northwest of the town entered the community on Wednesday, July 23 night.

In a Facebook post at 8:15 p.m. CDT, the town’s administration said the fire jumped the Churchill River and began spreading through Leaf Rapids' industrial area.

Due to the fire’s advance and thick smoke, officials said all personnel were evacuating and may not return for some time.


As of Tuesday, the fire northwest of Leaf Rapids had grown to over 2,500 hectares. It is the smallest of the three major fires near the town. A second fire southwest of Leaf Rapids measured more than 30,300 hectares. A third to the east had reached 15,500 hectares.

The province confirmed that all three wildfires remain out of control.

Leaf Rapids, located about 155 kilometres northwest of Thompson, declared a state of emergency on July 7. Around 300 residents were told to evacuate within 24 hours.

Ervin Bighetty, a former mayor of Leaf Rapids, has been staying with his family in a Winnipeg hotel since the evacuation two weeks ago. He told CBC News that he was saddened to hear that firefighters were leaving the community.

"I don't know when we're going to go home, if we're going to have a home to go to," he said. "But what matters to me is that my family is safe. I know where they are, I can go down the hallway and go see them."

In its statement, the town urged residents to “hope for the best,” adding, “be thankful everyone got out safely.”