The mayor of a town in northern Manitoba that has been evacuated for a second time due to encroaching wildfires says it’s been tough on the emotions and mental well-being of the community.
Ron Scott, mayor of Snow Lake, told Global Winnipeg that it has been frustrating for the town of just over 1,000 people, located more than 680 kilometres north of Winnipeg, is frustrated — especially after its residents thought they were out of the woods mere weeks ago.
“That (first) fire was coming at us very quickly from the northwest, and the weather changed and it stalled,” Scott said.
“We thought, ‘OK, we’re safe, we can bring everybody back’ … and then about two and a half weeks later, we’re back at it again.”
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The current blaze, he said, is once again on Snow Lake’s doorstep, and residents are concerned about it spreading into the community.
“It really depends on the winds. We’ve got drought conditions, very low humidity, so a lot will depend on the winds and what nature throws at us.
“I encourage everyone to keep the faith — we’ve got an absolutely amazing crew of professional and volunteer firefighters, from a number of communities, in Snow Lake.”
As of Friday morning, Scott said, fire crews had been able to hold the blaze off around the perimeter of a nearby mineral mine, but it remains about two kilometres from the town itself.
The province remains under a state of emergency, and as of Thursday afternoon, officials said Manitoba was combating 124 active fires, bringing this year’s total to 333 — well above the average of 252 for this time of year.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
