LYNN LAKE — Thousands more wildfire evacuees in Manitoba will start making the trek home in the coming days as officials in two northwestern communities lift their evacuation orders.
The roughly 600 residents of the town of Lynn Lake will be allowed to return to the community 775 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg starting at 8 a.m. Friday.
In a social media post, the town said buses would be arranged for those who need help with transportation.
"An evacuation alert will remain in place," the town said on social media.
"While it is now safe to return, residents must remain prepared to evacuate again with little notice if fire conditions worsen."
Residents were forced out a little more than one month ago by an out-of-control blaze that currently stands at 71 square kilometres in size. Active fire and hot spots remain close, the town said.
Suppression efforts are ongoing, but there is a continued risk of smoke and falling ash, officials said.
Further south, residents of the city of Flin Flon could start coming home by the middle of next week as officials prepare to lift their mandatory evacuation order.
Deputy Mayor Alison Dallas-Funk, in a social media post Thursday, said the order is expected to be lifted at 9 a.m. on June 25, about one month after the city's 5,100 residents were forced out by a massive wildfire that began days earlier in nearby Creighton, Sask.
She said most critical services and businesses, including power and gas, would be ready to go by Sunday. Barring further fire activity, she said council would meet Monday to officially rescind the order.
"Please be careful, all of the highways are going to be extremely busy," said Dallas-Funk.
She said health services would be available in a limited capacity and added the grocery store won't have much in stock.
Dallas-Funk said the town would work to secure buses to bring people home.
Manitoba's wildfire service has said crews have made progress in combating the 3,700-square-kilometre fire near Flin Flon, but weather has hindered their efforts.
The province has been experiencing what Premier Wab Kinew has described as its worst fire season in recent memory.
At the peak of evacuations, about 21,000 people were out of their homes, putting pressure on the province’s supply of hotel rooms and prompting Kinew's NDP government to encourage tourists to think twice about travelling to Manitoba.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025.
-- By David Boles and Aaron Sousa in Edmonton
The Canadian Press
