With snow still on the ground in Flin Flon, Man., city fire officials are already bracing for wildfire season.
“There’s early indications that we could be in store for a drier spring, so that’s always going to be of concern,” Flin Flon Fire Chief Jason Kuras said during a Tuesday interview on Your Morning Winnipeg.
Kuras has reason to be concerned.
Last year’s arid spring gave way to one of Manitoba’s worst wildfire seasons on record. Hundreds of fires destroyed over two million hectares of land, prompting two states of emergency.
One such blaze evacuated roughly 4,800 Flin Flon residents.
Looking ahead to this year’s season, Chief Kuras said his fire department has shored up, adding two new value protection trailers outfitted with sprinklers and hoses. The department also strengthened emergency agreements with neighbouring communities.
Meanwhile, the community is also doing what it can to prepare, come what may.
“Everybody’s eager to plan and protect themselves for this upcoming year and any possibilities that might come up, so it’s good to see the community very engaged,” he said.
Earlier this month, Manitoba Natural Resources Minister Ian Bushie said the province is not anticipating a wildfire season as bad as last year. Drought conditions were more extreme in 2025, he explained, but the province is also more prepared to respond this wildfire season.
“We’re not anticipating the fire season from last year to repeat itself, but we’re also prepared if it does,” he said.
In Flin Flon, Chief Kuras is waiting to see what Mother Nature has in store.
“Really, we’ve done what we can from our side. As far as the weather goes, it’s always so hard to know this time of year.”
- With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagacé
