Latest news with #BrandonDulewich
CBC
11 hours ago
- Climate
- CBC
Lynn Lake residents to return home as wildfire threat fades, health services start to be restored
Residents of Lynn Lake can soon return home, more than three weeks after a wildfire ordered an evacuation of the northern Manitoba community. The town said in a Facebook post Thursday night that residents can return home as of Friday at 8 a.m. Buses are being arranged for those who need assistance, and town officials will be in contact with those individuals, according to the Facebook post. Officials are telling residents, however, they must be ready to evacuate with little notice if fire conditions worsen. Lynn Lake Mayor Brandon Dulewich said the pending return to their town brings an "overwhelming feeling of joy" for him, as well as the evacuees who spent a few weeks sleeping on cots in a makeshift shelter in Thompson, more than 200 kilometres away. "They've been out of the community for I think 24 days now, but we've been trying to bring you home forever." Delays in reopening ER Dulewich said the evacuation order would have been rescinded earlier if health-care services in the town of roughly 600 people could have been restored faster. The emergency department opened again on Thursday, the mayor said. The fire near Lynn Lake is over 71,000 hectares and remains out of control, according to a provincial wildfire bulletin issued on Thursday. Earlier in the day, Kristin Hayward, assistant deputy minister of the Conservation Officer Service and the Manitoba Wildfire Service, said the north half of the blaze is actively burning but the south part, closer to the community, is looking better. The town said on Facebook that "hot spots" from the wildfire remain close to the community. "There is a continued risk of smoke and falling ash, especially during periods of increased wind and heat." Dulewich commended the people of Thompson for voluntarily looking after his community, which is just over 800 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. He's disappointed that Lynn Lake residents had to endure weeks in a shelter, sleeping on cots, while evacuees from other areas were flown to Winnipeg and stayed in hotel rooms. He wants a fairer system to be developed. "I've gone blue in the face, yelling at different agencies, trying to get the basic humane living conditions for the citizens of Lynn Lake," Dulewich said. "It's unbelievable that they had to have to stay in the makeshift shelter for this long."
CBC
2 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
More than 2 dozen cottages, homes burned to the ground in Manitoba's Burge Lake Provincial Park
Social Sharing More than two dozen cottages and homes in northwestern Manitoba's Burge Lake Provincial Park have burned to the ground due to wildfires, the mayor of Lynn Lake confirmed this week. And as officials continue to assess the damage, he says many are concerned about the emotional toll the destruction will have on residents when they finally return home. "We've seen a tremendous amount of loss," said Brandon Dulewich, the mayor of Lynn Lake, about 235 kilometres north of Flin Flon. Firefighters spent days trying to save approximately 35 homes and cabins located in Burge Lake Provincial Park, which is only about five kilometres north of the town of Lynn Lake, he said. Despite their efforts, Dulewich confirmed Wednesday that 29 buildings, including a mix of both seasonal cottages and permanent residences, were destroyed. "The destruction at that subdivision is something that is extremely hard to see, and my heart goes out to those who lost a home or a cottage out there. "It's something they've worked for their whole life, and now it's gone." The buildings destroyed included his own cottage in the area — a loss he is still coming to grips with, said Dulewich, who also works as a firefighter with the Lynn Lake Fire Department. Firefighters have been working for weeks to contain an out-of-control wildfire that continues to burn in the region, and covers nearly 72,000 hectares, according to the province's latest fire update. Lynn Lake and the surrounding area were ordered evacuated on May 27, and residents still haven't been cleared to go home. With buildings destroyed, and much of the area now charred, Dulewich is warning residents that the Burge Lake they will come back to will look a lot different than what they left. "Even that location is completely charred," he said. "There's no trees left standing, the ground is black. "It's not what it used to be. It's going to be surprising for people and overwhelming." The destruction is "heartbreaking," he said, acknowledging the connection many in the area have to their homes and cottages. 'Just awful': fire chief Lynn Lake Fire Department Chief Paul Grimmer echoed Dulewich's concerns about the scene that Burge Lake residents are poised to return to, and how they will deal with it emotionally. "It's just awful," Grimmer said. "It was just a beautiful park, and now it just looks like a bomb went off in the middle of it." Grimmer also lost his own cottage in the fire, he confirmed, but said his number 1 priority now is for the department to save as many structures as they can as the fire continues to burn. As of Wednesday, neither Dulewich and Grimmer could say when they expect residents from the area will be able to return home. Both said the fire could continue to threaten Lynn Lake and Burge Lake, depending on elements like heat and wind in the coming days and weeks. Crystal Antila, who is a volunteer firefighter with the Springfield Fire Department in southern Manitoba but grew up in Lynn Lake, bought a cabin in Burge Lake about a year ago. It was one of the structures that has now burned down, she said. "We heard about it a few weeks ago now, and obviously a lot of people got the same news, so it's a really unfortunate loss for a lot of people out there," she said. In her volunteer role, Antila said she was one of the many people dispatched to the area to fight the fire, and she was able to see the destruction to her cabin and to the area first-hand. "'Before' and 'after' is a very different view," she said. "It was a very emotional experience." As hard as losing her own cabin was, Antila said she can't imagine how people who have lost homes and cabins that have been in their families for years — decades, in some cases — will feel when they return to the ruins. "There are a few people that this was their year-round home, and I can't imagine how they are dealing with the stress of that loss," she said. "I am fortunate it was a summer getaway, so it's not having the same impact on my day-to-day life, and my heart goes out to them. "It must be very difficult for them every single day now trying to figure out what their life is going to look like." The province confirmed on Wednesday it is aware of 130 structures in total lost across the province due to this year's wildfires, but said it will not be providing any more details or descriptions until affected individuals have been notified. As of Wednesday, the Manitoba Wildfire Service was fighting 21 active wildfires across the province. There have been 124 wildfires to date this year, above the average for this date of 118 total fires, the province said in its latest fire bulletin.
CTV News
03-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Lynn Lake wildfire update
Winnipeg Watch Brandon Dulewich, mayor of Lynn Lake, shares the latest updates on the current wildfire situation.
CTV News
03-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Fire ‘on the doorstep' of community of Lynn Lake: mayor
Smoke billows in the air as a wildfire enters the community of Lynn Lake on June 1, 2025. (Brandon Dulewich) Wildfire has caused destruction to several structures in Manitoba's Lynn Lake as the blaze entered the community. In a statement on Monday night, Mayor Brandon Dulewich said the fire remains 'on the doorstep' of the community and that firefighters are ready to act on a moment's notice. Lynn lake fire A wildfire on the doorstep of the community of Lynn Lake on June 1, 2025. (Brandon Dulewich) Dulewich said the fire entered the community on Sunday, causing the destruction of four structures. He added that firefighters managed to contain the flames to the first block of the town. The mayor thanks the 'brave' firefighters from Brandon and Morris who helped the local firefighters and kept the destruction to a minimum.
CTV News
02-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Wildfire destroys structures in Lynn Lake
Highlights of your CTV Morning Live news and weather for June 2. Highlights of your CTV Morning Live news and weather for June 2. An out-of-control fire threatening Lynn Lake has now destroyed several structures in the community. Mayor Brandon Dulewich told CTV News Winnipeg by phone Monday morning that four structures in the town have been destroyed by the fire, along with nearly 30 from surrounding areas near the town. He added high winds were adding to the danger in the community. An update on the town's Facebook page last week said the fire was one kilometre away from the town limits. The town has been under a mandatory evacuation since May 27. The fire has been burning since May 7, is 50,000 hectares in size and is out of control.
