Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has airlifted more than 1,550 residents from Garden Hill First Nation, a northern Manitoba community under severe wildfire threat. Military transport planes began flying people out on July 12 and continued through the weekend.Capt. Wyatt Shorter with Joint Operations Command stated that as of Sunday afternoon, no more residents remained waiting to leave. A CC-130 Hercules aircraft stays ready in Winnipeg if further flights become necessary. The community, located roughly 500 kilometres north of Winnipeg with no road access, faced imminent danger from the raging wildfires.This evacuation comes as Manitoba has one of its most severe wildfire seasons, forcing the province into its second provincewide state of emergency this year. .Over 12,000 Manitobans are currently displaced from their homes.While Garden Hill faced urgent evacuation, other threatened areas welcomed a change in weather. The City of Thompson, where residents remain on evacuation alert, reported cooler temperatures, light winds, rain, and higher humidity on Sunday. Officials stated these conditions provide crucial time for firefighters to strengthen defences against nearby fires. Thompson is also set to receive 20 firefighters from Mexico, with an incident management team from Australia arriving on July 16..Prime Minister Mark Carney acknowledged the worsening fires across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Ontario in a social media post. He thanked first responders and said the federal government is working with indigenous communities and other governments, prepared to offer more support..Manitoba government plans to use Winnipeg's major convention centre to house additional evacuees. Canadian Red Cross confirmed it is co-ordinating logistics for group shelters in the city..Federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski announced on Sunday she approved Manitoba's latest request for extra help over the weekend. This assistance focuses on humanitarian workforce support for evacuation and shelter efforts. "I am in regular contact with my counterpart in Manitoba. Our government will act fast if more help is needed," said Olszewski.The situation remains critical provincewide. Manitoba is experiencing extreme fire danger, with nearly 100 active fires burning over a million hectares, which is about 20 times more area than at this point last year. Smoke continues to affect air quality across many parts of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario.
