A major wildfire burning in central Canada has killed two people, police said Wednesday, and forced 1,000 more to evacuate their homes, kicking off a fire season authorities warn could prove challenging.
Canada has endured a series of significant forest fires in recent years, but deaths involving residents are rare.
In 2023, the worst wildfire season in the country's history, the only recorded deaths were among firefighters.
Canadian federal police confirmed Wednesday that two people died in the small community of Lac-du-Bonnet, in the central province of Manitoba, which is experiencing unusually hot, dry and windy conditions.
Chris Hastie of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) told reporters that authorities "were aware that these individuals had been trapped in the fire."
"Due to extreme conditions yesterday afternoon, emergency personnel were not able to reach the location until this morning," Hastie added.
There were no reports of additional people unaccounted for, Hastie said.
Manitoba's Premier Wab Kinew said he was "deeply saddened to learn of the tragic loss of two Manitobans due to the wildfires."
"My heart goes out to their loved ones," he added in a post on X.
Evacuations
Several evacuation orders have been issued in recent days in Manitoba, including in Lac-du-Bonnet, where 1,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes.
"This is a truly tragic event. We are a very close-knit community here," Loren Schinkel, the head of the community 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of Winnipeg, said after the deaths were confirmed.
Speaking to AFP earlier, Schinkel had said strong winds from the south were driving the fire's spread, but that the situation appeared stable on Wednesday morning.
There are 24 active fires in Manitoba, five of which are considered out of control, authorities said.
One fire burning on the Ontario border has spread across 100,000 hectares.
"We are looking at obviously very challenging conditions," said Kristin Hayward of the Manitoba Wildfire Service, citing hot, dry weather.
"We have had some very windy days, and we expect that to continue," she added, speaking before the fatalities were confirmed.
There are currently 92 active fires across Canada, including in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.
Authorities have warned the wildfire season in central and western Canada could be more intense than normal due to drought conditions affecting several areas.
Climate change has increased the impact of extreme weather events in Canada.
By Anne-Marie PROVOST/AFP
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