Fires rage across Manitoba, force evacuations

People are being forced from their homes due to grass fires burning out of control in southern Manitoba.

About 20 homes 50 people have been evacuated in the community of Stuartburn, about 90 kilometres south of Winnipeg.

"The town is divided by a highway and so everybody on the south side of the highway has been evacuated becausethefire's getting pretty close to town," said Angela Smook, who lives in the community of about 1,600.

"I'm on the north side of the highway but I've just watched all my neighbours leave."

'People gotta be very vigilant. It is critical out there now.'Dave Schafer, acting fire commissioner

There are crews from 12 fire services working in the area, according to provincial officials.

Four water bombers are also attacking the flames.

"Every fire resource they can manage, they've got," said Smook.

Highway 201 near Highway 59 is closed as a result.

Dave Schafer, Manitoba's acting fire commissioner, said about 75 firefightersfrom at least eight departments in that region of the province have been working non-stop through the night.

"The last report I got was no property loss although it's been a valiant effort on their behalf.

"They have had some close calls butseem to be on top of it."

Fires are also burning in three other areas of the province:the Interlake,Riding Mountain National Park in western Manitoba, and two in eastern Manitoba, north Nopiming Provincial Parknear Bissett.

Eight helicopters, four waterbombers andnearly 100 ground crew are fighting the Bisset-area blazes, which have consumed about 18,000hectares.

Manitoba Conservation officials say the hot, dry fall and strong winds in the past few days havepushed the fire danger to extreme in some parts ofthe province.

"People gotta be very vigilant. It is critical out there now," saidSchafer.

"They gotta watch everything they dothat they are not being part of the problem and causing these fires."

Evacuation alert near Riding Mountain

In Riding Mountain National Park, the fire isin McFadden Valley. Park officials said the fire started in a site where a controlled burnhad previously been extinguished.

Highway 19 is closed at Riding Mountain National Park. Parks Canada fire specialists are working to extinguish the fire andsetting up fireguardsalong the park boundary to protect neighbours and their property.

Fire crews, helicopters and bulldozers are on site to control the blaze, saidpark spokesperson Cate Watrous.

Firefighting crews from other parks have also been called in to assist.

As a precaution, an evacuation alert has been put in placeby the Rural Municipality of Clanwilliam, whichwill notify landowners ofany further necessary actions.

The following areas have been closed to the public: south escarpment trails, Kinosao Trail, Cowan Lake Trail, Brl Trail, Muskrat Lake Trail, Grey Owl Trail, Arrowhead Trail, Lake Katherine Road,Rolling River Road, and all the trails north of Highway 19 and Highway 10.

Forest fire in Bisset

Over in Bissett, Highway 304 east of the town and west of Wallace Lake has been shut down because of the heavy smoke and flames crossing the highway.

Theforest firesareabout 10 kilometres from Bissett. They were ignitedTuesday evening bya lightning strike, according to provincial officials.

At this point, there are no people or private property being threatened, officials said.

Crews were also battling a blaze near La Broquerie, southeast of Winnipeg,until they brought it under control around 3 a.m. Friday.

Anda fire in northern Minnesota is licking at the Manitoba border but crews from the U.S. are working on that one.