Firefighters from The Pas have joined the front lines near Lynn Lake, Manitoba, racing to protect the evacuated town from a wildfire that forced out all 600 residents in late June 2026. Their deployment follows the recent signing of a formal Mutual Aid Agreement with Opaskwayak Cree Nation to strengthen their emergency partnership.
Crews were deployed as part of a coordinated provincial response. They are working alongside crews from Thompson, Lac Brochet, Grand Rapids, and a fire truck from Marcel Colomb First Nation, as well as the Manitoba Wildfire Service and the Office of the Fire Commissioner.
Lynn Lake’s mandatory evacuation order took effect Saturday, June 27, when flames advanced rapidly toward the community. Mayor Brandon Dulewich said the town acted quickly to get everyone out safely. Since then, crews have managed to keep the fire away from structures, but the blaze has grown to more than 5,000 hectares and fire danger remains extreme across most of the province.
“Those fighting the fire include firefighters from Thompson and The Pas,” officials confirmed. The deployment comes after a devastating 2025 wildfire season that revealed gaps in northern infrastructure and evacuation plans, prompting a $1.2-million investment in better weather tracking and fire mapping for 2026.
Lynn Lake is not alone. Marcel Colomb First Nation, about 110 members, and O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation, roughly 130 kilometres west, have also declared states of emergency and moved priority residents out of harm’s way. As of June 29, about 545 First Nations evacuees remained displaced across Manitoba, with the Canadian Red Cross helping coordinate shelters and support.
The tri-community area of The Pas, Opaskwayak Cree Nation, and the Rural Municipality of Kelsey has long been a staging ground for northern response because of its location 625 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. The new Mutual Aid Agreement, announced on the The Pas Fire Department Facebook page, formalizes what neighbours have always done: show up when the call comes.
Environment Canada has issued air quality advisories for communities far from the fire zones, warning that smoke drifting from northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan could push the Air Quality Health Index into high-risk levels. Officials urge residents to limit outdoor activity and check on vulnerable neighbours while the provincewide state of emergency remains in effect.
