Significant rainfall occurred in various areas of drought-stricken southern Manitoba on Thursday and continued through Friday night; however, it barely reached the Lac du Bonnet region. This is where a wildfire has been burning fiercely since Monday and tragically resulted in two fatalities.
The storm system generated multiple small thunderstorms characterized by significantly differing precipitation levels, noted Danielle Desjardins, a warning preparedness meteorologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada.
"Regrettably, the regions nearer to the wildfires did not receive as much rainfall as was observed farther south and west, particularly in the Red River Valley and areas to its west," she stated.
Approximately 11.5 millimeters fell in Great Falls, located just north of the fire in the rural municipality of Lac du Bonnet, whereas the area only got 0.1 mm.
Libau, located west of the RM, received 47 mm.
The Colorado system that brought the rainfall hasn't finished affecting Manitoba just yet, so there remains a possibility it might assist with firefighting efforts, Desjardins noted.
She mentioned that additional showers will likely occur later on Friday as the low moves towards the east. About 10-15 mm of rain is anticipated from this system; however, the quantities may vary significantly.
“I’m hopeful for significant rainfall. This is an extremely distressing and sorrowful circumstance,” she stated.
Sadly, Mother Nature will proceed as it intends, but the silver lining is that temperatures following this system will be significantly lower compared to recent days. This means the hot, arid, and breezy conditions conducive to igniting and spreading wildfires will diminish.
Even though the struggle continues, certain evacuees have been permitted to go back to their homes within theRM. As per the The website for the RM of Lac du Bonnet The evacuation order was rescinded by 8 p.m. on Thursday for permanent residents living in the Wendigo road areas and homes extending from Highway 313 to Newcombe Road.
No seasonal access or visitors are permitted there yet, and all other evacuated areas remain closed.
Updates are being shared with you on this topic. The Lac du Bonnet Emergency Management page on Facebook .
Despite the rain and lower temperatures, "the fire continues to be active in multiple regions within the designated red zone, implying that our evacuation orders will still be enforced," according to a statement posted shortly after 9 a.m. on Friday on the Facebook page.
We value how these choices affect our community members, yet we need to keep making decisions that ensure the utmost safety.
At last report The fire currently covers around 4,000 hectares and remains uncertain.
“I was at that location this morning [on Wendigo Road], where the fire began. The blaze still has some active hotspots and smoldering areas,” stated RM of Lac du Bonnet Reeve Loren Schinkel on Friday.
Rain 'is a gift' in Piney
The rainfall did have an effect on at least one uncontained fire within the province.
"The Piney wildfire was rapidly approaching the community of Woodridge when suddenly we noticed the temperature dropping... which told us that rain was imminent," stated Ken Prociw, a councilor for the RM of Piney located close to the U.S.-Manitoba boundary.
The heavens have burst open. It was a gift. Everything has transformed now.
The fire, located directly opposite the Woodridge fire station, was finally brought under control. Before that point, emergency teams had been working to establish firebreaks, however, the blaze continued to leap over these barriers, as he mentioned.
The situation kept evolving non-stop. It was astonishing to see such an influx.
According to The update provided by the RM on Friday In the Woodridge region, they received 15 millimeters of rainfall; however, the fire continues to be uncontrolled, and the state of emergency stays in effect.
The fire was most recently reported to cover an area exceeding 8,900 hectares, as stated in the RM’s Friday evening update. This blaze has led to evacuation orders in the areas of St. Labre, Florze, and sections of Carrick and Woodridge. According to Prociw, it has resulted in the destruction of at least one home in St. Labre and potentially two cabins in Florze.
The RM's update mentions that evacuation orders won’t be canceled until the fire’s status is updated to “under control.”
A further update will take place on Friday evening, after which the RM will share the details on their social media platforms for everyone to see.
Over the past two days, the Manitoba government has conducted briefings, however, they have not yet announced whether they plan to host a press conference on Friday to share further details about the current wildfire status.
