Evacuees can return home after crews extinguish large brush fire west of Carberry, Man.: RCMP

A brush fire just west of Carberry, Man., has been extinguished and residents can now return to their homes, say RCMP.

Approximately 20 homes from North Cypress-Langford, a municipalitywest of Carberryand about 170 kilometres west of Winnipeg, were evacuated Thursday afternoon, after a brush fire broke out at Camp Hughes, an old military base nearby, police said.

"We hadthree or four neighbouring fire departments come and help us out in a very dangerous placea rural residential, and it's dry as hell out there," saidBob Adriaansen, reeve of North Cypress-Langford.

"I talked to a few people that came in and it was right around their houses,butas far as I knowthere is no damage other than grass."

Adriaansen says he first heard about the fire around 2 p.m. Thursday. But Manitoba RCMP didn't inform the public about the situation until hours later.

WATCH| Crews scramble to contain Camp Hughes fire:

Brush fire threatens homes in western Manitoba

4 years ago

Duration 1:07

Firefighters work to put out a brush fire that forced the evacuation of some homes near Camp Hughes, west of Carberry, Man., Thursday evening (Video courtesy Liam Pattison).

Just before 5:45 p.m., RCMP said viaTwitterthata large brush fire was burning near CFB Shilo,a Canadian Armed Forces base nearly 180 kilometres west of Winnipeg. Spokesperson Paul Manaigre told CBC News that Mounties from the Blue Hills detachment were helping residentsleave their homes near the base.

Manitoba RCMP later provided CBC News with a map of the impact area. The map showed the fire was actually at Camp Hughes, a heritage siteroughly 13 kilometres west of Carberry, and the evacuated homes were just north of that site.

A section of Highway 351, near Carberry, Man., fromHighway 5 to the west junction of the Trans-Canada Highway, wasclosed because of the fire. The evacuated homes are along that strip of road.

Approximately 20 homes were evacuated, said Manaigrein an email.

All evacuees were sent to the community rink in Carberry until the situation passed, said Adriaansen.

At 8:36 p.m.,CBC News received an email from RCMP saying the fire was extinguishedand evacuees wereallowed to return home.

Theaffected section ofhighway has also reopened to traffic, according to Manitoba 511.

No injuries have been reported as of yet, Manaigre said.

Adriaansenhadn't heard what may have caused the fire by the time he spoke with CBC News Thursday evening.

The Town of Carberry and the Municipality of North Cypress-Langfordhave been undera burn ban since March 19 due to dry conditions. All fires are prohibited and anyone who doesn't comply will be fined.

"It's tinder dry. It could have been anything," said Adriaansen.