WINNIPEG — About 1,000 people have been forced to leave a popular area for cottagers as wildfires continue to burn in Manitoba.
Loren Schinkel, reeve of the Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet, says fire has destroyed some structures in one area and the damage is still being assessed.
The Lac du Bonnet region is well-known as cottage country, but Schinkel says many people have moved in permanently since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The fire is one of many burning in Manitoba after a hot, dry spring.
Out-of-control fires have already prompted evacuation orders in areas of Nopiming and Whiteshell provincial parks.
Manitoba Hydro says it plans to have its employees leave the Pointe du Bois and Slave Falls generating stations because the fires are threatening to cut off road access to the facilities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2025.
Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press
