Weather co-operating with evacuation of fire-threatened communities in Manitoba
WINNIPEG — The weather co-operated Thursday with efforts to evacuate more than 1,000 people from two First Nations communities threatened by forest fires in northern Manitoba.
With thick smoke no longer causing trouble at the airport in Little Grand Rapids, planes and helicopters were moving people out of the community as well as neighbouring Pauingassi, about 260 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.
“Things are going smoothly at this point. Our focus is on getting the last people out,” said Jason Small, a spokesman for the Canadian Red Cross.
“As long as everything goes well, we are working towards getting everybody out … by the end of today.”