Forest fire prompts evacuations in Red Sucker Lake First Nation

A nearby forest fire is forcing people with health concerns to flee Red Sucker Lake First Nation.

Manitoba Sustainable Development currently lists the fire, which is approximately seven kilometres north of the community,as out of control.

The blaze appears to be moving north for the time being, the province said, and wasstarted by a human.

Fire crews, including water bombers, attacking the blaze Thursdaywere briefly diverted to a second fire inGods Lake Narrows, Man. approximately 60 kilometres to the northwest but have since returned to the Red Sucker Lake fire.

The Canadian Red Cross said the first flights taking evacuees from the fly-in community, which is535 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg,left Thursday. About 300 Red Sucker Lake evacuees will be housed in Winnipeg hotels until they can return to Red Sucker Lake.

Shawn Feely, vice-president for Manitoba and Nunavut with the Canadian Red Cross, said the aid organization hasbeen asked by the band council to remove peoplewho may suffer due to poor air conditions caused by the fire.

The fire started Wednesday and as ofThursday at 4:45p.m. the fire measured 120hectares.

The evacuation includes both people with health problems, the elderly, babies and their caregivers, the Red Cross said.

"The smoke is blowing into the community and the leadership from the community wished to evacuate those people," Feely said.

The Canadian Red Cross has an agreement with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada to handle evacuations from First Nation communities.

Feely said at this point the Red Cross does not expect to do a mass evacuation of the community, should the fire worsen, the organization is ready to transport everyone out of Red Sucker Lake.

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"The Red Cross has the capacity to handle a larger evacuation, definitely," he said. "We always have a contingency plan."

This is not the first fire in recent years to threaten Red Sucker Lake. In 2015wild fires forced 200 people to flee the remote northern community.

Approximately 900 people live in the community, according to 2011 data fromIndigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.

• Manitoba's Red Sucker Lake First Nation evacuated due to wildfires