Manitoba EDS Wildfire Response

UPDATE #1

In late May, the province of Manitoba declared a state of emergency due to wildfires that threatened several communities. The wildfires forced 21,000 Manitobans from their homes in cities, towns and remote northern communities. The wildfire evacuations are now the largest air evacuation in Canadian history, according to the Canadian Armed Forces, who were called in to assist with airlifting people to safety in Winnipeg and Niagara Falls.

Evacuees were urged to find family or friends to stay with, and for those without a place to stay, temporary reception centres and emergency congregate shelters were set up at several locations in Winnipeg. Many evacuees left on short notice and were only able to grab a single bag of belongings before fleeing their homes.

The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services team in Manitoba was called to action to set up a canteen at one of the main reception sites at Billy Mosienko Arena in Winnipeg. For the first week, the canteen was operational 24 hours a day, providing snacks, meals and refreshments to evacuees, emergency support workers and volunteers arriving at all hours.

As more people arrived and were settled into local accommodations, the canteen shifted to more regular hours. Salvation Army employees and an incredible group of dedicated volunteers staffed the canteen.

In total, the Manitoba EDS response lasted from May 28th to June 20th. Volunteers and staff worked more than 1,129 hours and served 7,935 meals, 14,701 beverages and 18,385 snacks. A cornerstone of Salvation Army EDS support is spiritual care, which was facilitated through more than 390 emotional and spiritual care engagements, and 70 devotional and inspirational books were distributed.

The provincial state of emergency ended on June 23rd.

UPDATE #2

Following the end of the first state of emergency on June 23rd, the province of Manitoba declared a second state of emergency on July 10th. Originally set to expire on August 8th, the province extended the order until August 22nd.

During the second state of emergency, the Salvation Army EDS team was called in to provide hot meals at the reception centre and congregate shelter at the Leila soccer complex. The team prepared hot lunches serving between 1200 and 500 people over several days.

The New York Times reports that over 30,000 have been forced from their homes. There are still more than 150 active wildfires, and more than 1.55 million hectares have burned in the province. There have been more than 400 wildfires so far in 2025, over 100 more than on average for this time of year. This has been Manitoba’s worst wildfire season on record.