Update — 7:00 PM To our membership,
Chief and Council have declared a local state of emergency in response to the active wildfire on Fort Island. Our emergency response team has been on the ground since the fire was first reported and continues to work without pause. Chief and Council are working alongside them every step of the way. Everything that can be done is being done, and we are monitoring this situation closely.
We have received our 6:00 PM update from the Manitoba Wildfire Service — Thompson Regional District Office and we want to share that information with you now.
The fire is currently assessed at 100 hectares and is responding well to air attack. The major head of the fire has reached the lake, which is a positive development in containing its spread. The focus of ground operations now shifts to the edges of the fire.
The Manitoba Wildfire Service currently has the following resources deployed:
- Two Initial Attack (IA) crews
- One Type 2 emergency firefighter crew
- Two helicopters
- Water bombers, operating until 7:30 PM tonight and expected to return tomorrow morning
Our PDC crew has mobilized bulldozers to construct dozer guards — clearing a fireline to prevent the fire from advancing toward the hospital and surrounding areas.
The Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC) has been mobilized and is deploying additional fire trucks, sprinkler pumps, and hoses from the south to support our local fire department in protecting community buildings and infrastructure. Those crews and equipment are departing tonight and are expected to arrive in Norway House by noon tomorrow. We are hopeful we will not need them, but they will be on the ground and ready if we do.
The Thompson Regional District Office will assess tonight whether additional air attack or initial attack crews will be required.
We are in direct contact with Premier Wab Kinew and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC). Both are fully aware of the situation and engaged.
Support is also coming from our neighbours. Frontier School Division has confirmed the school is open and available as an evacuation point if needed. Chief Monias of Pimicikamak Cree Nation has generously offered buses to assist with transportation and has made their Public Works building available to Norway House community members if required.
At this time, the only evacuation in effect is for Fort Island residents, who are currently being accommodated at the Multiplex. There are no further evacuations in place at this time.
At 7:00 PM, helicopters went up to conduct an aerial assessment of the fire. We are awaiting the results of that assessment from the Manitoba Wildfire Service at 9:00 PM, which will determine whether Fort Island residents currently at the Multiplex are able to return to their homes. We will report back at that time.
Ekosani,
Chief Season Roulette
Norway House Cree Nation
Last modified: May 29, 2026
