Saskatchewan Files Charges Over Wildfires as 1,000 Residents Flee in Manitoba

Wildfires continued to rage across the Canadian Prairies on Friday, intensifying on two major fronts and resulting in fresh evacuations and new criminal charges. In Manitoba, another 1,000 residents were ordered to flee their homes, joining thousands already displaced as flames approached populated areas. Meanwhile, authorities in Saskatchewan charged two individuals with arson, alleging they deliberately ignited fires contributing to the crisis.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe confirmed that RCMP had laid charges against an 18-year-old woman from Montreal Lake Cree Nation and a 36-year-old man from Pelican Narrows. The charges stem from separate incidents: one blaze set in a rural area near La Ronge, which triggered evacuation orders for approximately 7,000 people, and another in a ditch near the turnoff to Snowden, northeast of Prince Albert. "Many if not virtually all of the fires that we’re dealing with in Saskatchewan, although not intentionally, are human caused. Some of those have been intentionally human caused," Moe remarked, highlighting the critical role of human activity in the current wildfire emergency.

As of Friday, Saskatchewan was battling 24 active wildfires, prompting evacuation orders for between 10,000 and 15,000 residents. In addition to the charges, local police in Prince Albert launched an investigation into a suspicious fire at a provincial firefighting base north of the city. The fire was swiftly extinguished without injuries or significant damage, but authorities reported that the suspect had fled the scene by bicycle.

Both Saskatchewan and Manitoba remain under states of emergency, enabling expedited coordination between municipal, provincial, and federal agencies. Manitoba has received military assistance to facilitate evacuations, particularly in remote First Nations communities. Calls are mounting for Saskatchewan to seek additional federal support as well, with Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron urging the premier to deploy "every available resource in Canada" to confront the escalating wildfires.

Premier Moe indicated that, although his government is in continuous contact with federal officials, provincial emergency crews have been able to manage the evacuation efforts so far. The Canadian Red Cross is also setting up emergency shelters in major centres such as Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince Albert for evacuees forced from their homes.

In Manitoba, the crisis deepened when the town of Snow Lake issued a mandatory evacuation order as an enormous wildfire, now spanning more than 3,000 square kilometres, menaced the area east of Flin Flon. The fire has already forced out all 5,000 residents of Flin Flon, with an additional 1,000 people from surrounding homes and cottages also displaced. With Snow Lake’s evacuation, about 19,000 Manitobans were out of their homes as of Friday, and 27 wildfires were burning across the province—eight of them classified as out of control.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said evacuees are being accommodated in a mix of private homes, hotels, and group shelters, although managing space remains a "balancing act" due to the need to prioritize hotel stays for those with serious medical conditions. "At this point, the big-picture challenge around rooms has largely been addressed," Kinew stated, adding that efforts now focus on matching incoming evacuees with available accommodations.

Emergency shelters have been established in Winnipeg, Thompson, and Brandon. In Flin Flon, city officials reassured residents via social media that no structures had been lost to the fire, though wind shifts had sent smoke and fire toward the south side of the city. Protective measures such as sprinklers have been deployed and firefighters remain on standby to safeguard property.

Evacuations have also been completed in First Nations communities at Pukatawagan and Cross Lake. Further west, Alberta’s wildfire response provided a glimmer of hope as 1,300 residents of Swan Hills returned home after a week-long evacuation. However, in the County of Grande Prairie, evacuation orders remained in place, reflecting the ongoing volatility of the situation across multiple provinces.

With unprecedented numbers of people displaced and fires continuing to burn out of control, prairie communities are bracing for continued disruption and uncertainty in the days ahead. Officials stress that vigilance and cooperation between governments, emergency responders, and local residents will be crucial as the fight against the wildfires continues.