19/07/2025
Thank you for your support Australia!!!!!!
The wildfire north of Thompson has remained relatively stable over the past few days. The Manitoba Wildfire Service and international firefighters, including 20 from Mexico and a 7-member team from Australia that has taken over incident command, work to contain the western edge before moving crews to the east.
Crews continued to progress up the west side of Fire NO061 yesterday. That will proceed until they reach an area burned by a forest fire in a previous year which has slowed the fire’s growth in the northwest. Fire behaviour picked up between some unburned pockets but nothing significant occurred in the areas of most concern. When crews complete their work up the west side, they will be transferred to the east portion where the fire has crossed the Burntwood River. Until then, water bombers and helicopters will continue dropping water on that area to keep hot spots down.
To the south, crews are working the northwest side of Fire NO005 that is about 20 kilometres from Wabowden and Highway 6. Work on fire guards is taking place and water bombers targeted the area yesterday to keep the fire from spreading. Other crews are focusing on keeping the fire away from Highway 373 and there are boats working some of the islands near Cross Lake.
Vegetation control continues in the City of Thompson. Crews have cleared from the pump house to about the point where the Millennium Trail meets River Road and work continues in the train station and industrial area. Tree clearing is starting on the north shore of the Burntwood River today.
Winds will be light today, mainly from the west and northwest and there is a chance of showers and a risk of thunderstorms this afternoon. The forecast calls for more light winds from the northwest on Friday.
The photo with this post shows an excavator working in a cleared area between the Millennium Trail and the Burntwood River on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 15.
