15 May 2025 | Canada
Two people, a man and a woman, were found dead near Lac du Bonnet in southeastern Manitoba after a wildfire trapped them. The police found their bodies on Wednesday morning. The fire was very strong, and it was hard for emergency workers to get to them.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said they knew on Tuesday that some people were stuck because of the fire. But the firefighters and police could not reach them until Wednesday because the fire was too dangerous.
Supt. Chris Hastie, who is the RCMP commander for the area, said at a news conference that this is a very sad time for the local community. “This has been a very hard time for everyone, and this sad news will make it even harder,” he said.
When the police arrived on Wednesday morning, they found the two bodies near Wendigo Road in the rural area of Lac du Bonnet, about 100 kilometers northeast of Winnipeg. Police said they will only confirm who the people were after doing autopsies. It is believed the two died because of injuries from the fire.
There are no other missing people related to this fire in the area, the police said.
The fire near Lac du Bonnet is one of more than 20 wildfires burning in Manitoba right now. This fire is about 4,000 hectares in size, which is a very large area. Another fire near Nopiming Provincial Park, close to the Ontario border, is much bigger and covers about 100,000 hectares.
Loren Schinkel, the leader of Lac du Bonnet’s rural municipality, said the deaths will be very hard for the community. He said the community is very close, and everyone will be grieving with the families of the victims.
The fire has already caused a lot of damage to buildings and cottages, especially around Wendigo Beach. Hundreds of people who live or have cottages in the area had to leave because the fire grew quickly on Tuesday afternoon and evening.
Supt. Hastie asked people not to go near the fire area. He said it is dangerous because there are still hot spots, broken power lines, and unsafe buildings. Also, some people have been flying drones over the fire area. This is a problem because it has forced firefighting planes to stop flying, which makes fighting the fire harder.
Police have set up three checkpoints on Highway 313, which goes east from Lac du Bonnet. Only emergency vehicles are allowed to pass to keep people safe and help firefighters work.
The firefighters and police are working hard to control the fire and help the people affected. The community will have a long time to recover from this fire and the losses it has caused.
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