Wildfires force over 26,000 to flee homes in western and central Canada

Wildfires in western and central Canada have triggered the evacuation of more than 26,000 people, with provinces including Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta facing major threats.

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre reported 187 active fires nationwide on Sunday, 97 of which were marked “out of control.”

Local officials said Manitoba alone accounts for over 17,000 evacuees, followed by 8,000 in Saskatchewan and 1,300 in Alberta.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said the federal Incident Response Group has been convened. The Canadian Armed Forces are now assisting with air evacuations, particularly in the Mathias Colomb Cree Nation.

Carney confirmed that the government will match Red Cross donations and is coordinating efforts with Indigenous leaders and provincial authorities.

“The scale and complexity of these air evacuations cannot be overstated,” he posted on X.

Evacuation centres have opened throughout Manitoba, including in Winkler, near the US border. Meanwhile, drifting smoke has crossed into the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes, triggering air quality alerts in several US states.

The US Department of Agriculture said it sent 150 firefighters and an air tanker to assist in Alberta.

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