LAC DU BONNET — An evacuation order for the Rural Municipality of Lac du Bonnet in eastern Manitoba has been partially lifted as officials say crews continue to make good progress battling a wildfire that forced close to 1,000 people from their homes.
A statement from Lac du Bonnet Emergency Management posted to Facebook on Sunday afternoon says the province's Wildfire Service has recommended reopening the southern section of the evacuated Wendigo region.
The post says people who live south of PR 313 between Urban Road and Belluk Road can now return to their homes.
The statement says emergency management officials anticipate more re-entries will be possible in the coming days, but until then roadblocks will remain in place to prevent unauthorized entry to the area that's still under an evacuation order.
It also says Manitoba Hydro crews are still removing broken equipment and replacing over 200 poles in the north Wendigo area, and that the utility needs to limit access to the roads to do the work.
The fire destroyed 28 homes and cottages and left two people dead last week.
"Please continue to be patient and comply with the evacuation orders still in place," the post from Lac du Bonnet Emergency Management says.
Some other residents on the western edge of the evacuation zone were permitted to return late last week, but visitors were not allowed in.
The area is a popular lakefront cottage area, and the emergency management organization also posted a photo of an RCMP marine unit on patrol, with a reminder that access to the evacuated area by boat is prohibited.
The organization reported on Sunday morning that the fire was just over 4,000 hectares in size and crews were working to control its boundaries and prevent flare-ups.
It posted a photo of a burned tree, noting the base of the trunk remained on fire and that rain had little affect it.
"It has to be addressed with hand tools and hoses by Initial Attack crews. If these type of 'hot spots' are not addressed they could blow up into a full fire and impact life safety which remains our first priority," the post said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2025.
The Canadian Press
