Dry conditions keep northern Manitoba forest fire burning
Dry conditions keep northern Manitoba forest fire burning
09 June 2013
published by www.cbc.ca
USA — A huge forest fire continues to burn out of control near Ilford and War Lake First Nation, about a 1000 km north of Winnipeg.
Several hundred firefighters are involved in the effort to bring the blaze under control. The fire started Thursday.
So far, about 200 people have been evacuated.
About half of them are Manitoba Hydro Workers working at the Keeyask dam site.
Gary Friesen, manager of the fire program for Manitoba Conservation, said conditions are very dry and the fire was started by lightning.
“It’s big. It’s dry. It’s high temperatures, low humidities and high winds,” he said.
Residents forced out have been moved to Thompson.
Hydro workers were taken to Gillam.
The province re-opened a section of Highway 280 Sunday evening, which had been closed because of poor visibility due to smoke.
