Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 19, 1989, Winnipeg, Manitoba The province eke fighters prepare to Start dousing flames Crews halt Advance of Forest fires Winnipeg free press May Page 2 by Janet Mcfarland for the first time in eight Manitoba largest Forest fires gained almost no ground allowing Crews to take their tint real stabs at smothering the in Many this is just the natural resources department spokesman Don Keith said we we rent really making any attempt before to put the fire per Keith All we could do was try to move people out of the areas and protect buildings and try to Stop it from we can actually go in there and Start to put the fire out with hoses and with digging it residents from Renwer and Briggs Spur in the Western part of the province were allowed Home late wednesday after being ordered out of the communities on the week they Are on notice to be prepared to leave again within an although there was Only Light rain in the Western area about 1s5 firefighters were Success Ful in controlling the Blaze with Bac burning and by water bombing hot on the Eastern Side of the prov Keith there was a possibility More than 900 people from communities around Manigotagan would be allowed to return this after they have been away from Home for a he said the main concern is not for the safety of the but for the safety of travel on Highway 304 leading to the which stretches through a Long fire impassable Road the Road could become impassable by smoke or fire and wed have people Cut off up he ten to 20 Millimetres of rain fell in the Manigotagan area wednesday and firefighters were using the re Prieve to concentrate on the North Side of the out control which covers about about Iso residents of Bisset Are on standby to go to Lac Dubonnet if but Keith said yesterday the fires Are Only Afiwa Nipigon Lake More than 20 Kilometres the rain was More varied in the where a Collos Sal fire has covered an area six times the size of there was no rain at while Millimetres fell at Hodgson and one millimetre fell at fire Crews concentrated on put Ting More fire Breaks around the Jack head Indian but Keith the Interlake fire has mostly there were 74 fires burning in the province but Only 14 were out of so hectares of Forest have been Des the Overall situation has improved Keith if this was the beginning of the wed be saying How Seri Ous this but not when its been so critical for so this is by far the fest Day weve had since a week ago j far from Over the situation is far from Over and far from Keith damage is hard to estimate but Abi Tibi Price reports it has lost the equivalent of Over one years Supply of Timber in the Manigotagan area on the East Side of Lake Winni the company has said losses could hit in other the situation remained stable although North Western Ontario is considered extremely burning permits there have been suspended but increased camping this Holiday weekend and any Light lung from Thunder showers has officials concerned nine isolated fires burning in the Northwest Region could i despite an extreme fire Hazard across Northwestern the ministry reported wednesday that a total 14 fires had burned less than tiie Square Kilometre of in Alberta and two Days of Light showers and Low winds have More than halved the number of fires that raged last More rain was expected in Only four fires were burning and All were under in Saskatchewan there were 20 fires and none were considered Seri the problem fires we had last week Are All under control and were making Good Progress on said Duncan duty officer at Forest fire management office in Prince children from Manigotagan wait in the lobby before heading to the hotels swimming discrimination alleged hotel accused of treating fire evacuees As second class by Zena Olijnyk some Forest fire evacuees staying at Winnipeg Carlton inn say there being treated like second class citizens by hotel Harry Carter of Manigotagan said he was shocked to learn the inn has imposed mealtime restrictions on about 60 evacuees who have been put up at the hotel since last the hotel is insisting that All evacuees take breakfast Between and 10 and supper Between and Carter he said parents have also been told hotel staff will Call child and family services agencies in the City to Deal with children wandering through the weve been Here almost a and they Haven said All of a sudden Treyve placed restrictions on he i cant help but think this is discrimination against the evacuees because so Many of them Are another evacuee at the Carlton inn said she overheard a member of the restaurant staff say that indians eat like we complained to the manage ment about but we dont know what Seymo Urville Thelma Seymour hotel manager Ben Pressman said he and his staff Are sympathetic to the plight of but also have to worry about other weve got a business to so were concerned if there Are too Many children running around Usu he said in an decision defended he said the decision to impose the restrictions was made because the situation was getting he said children kept wandering into the restaurant asking for drinks for themselves and their even after their daily meal allow Ance had been used for Many of the this is the first time Treyve been off the re serve or in a and they were taking advantage of he he added Many of the parents have been going to Bingo during the leaving children a super this just be he More than 900 residents were forced to leave their Homes last week when Forest fires threatened the communities of hollow Manigotagan and while the majority managed to find relatives and about 230 people have been placed at the Carlton the Regis hotel and the salvation army Baldwin House at the expense of the City of Winnipeg so Cial services we didst ask for the we didst ask to leave our or to be put up in a particular Carter the staff Here should be a bit More understanding about the situation and not try to treat us like second class citizens simply be cause were not footing the Carter said children at the hotel cant be expected to stay in their these Are you cant expect them to stay cooped up All the he go Home a department of Natu ral resources official said there was a Strong possibility residents would be allowed to return to their communities Well do a Check to see exactly what the situation and if every thing is people can expect to go Home very Bill Medd ill just be so Happy to get even though it will be depressing to see All the said Hilda eighty Earold Samantha Smith and her six Earold brother said be Happy to get but for another their pet dog gave birth to a Puppy the Day they were forced to i just cant it made me sad to leave the Samantha while residents say there pleased with the Prospect of going Home some said there upset they Haven had a Chance to help fight the which has raged for More than a we put together a list of about 25 people who were willing to work fighting the and we Haven Beard said Manigotagan Deputy mayor Lynn Medd said he understands Why local people would be ups about not being hired to fight the but noted it was More important to have trained workers on the fire Hazard Sparks trawl restrictions Manitoba Forest fire situation has led the natural resources department to impose numerous restrictions on travellers planning to take to the country this department spokesman Don Keith said Road Access is restricted to recognized roads in the entire Interlake area and Eastern Manitoba from the Winnipeg River North to the Poplar the same rules apply to Spruce Woods provincial Forest and Western Manitoba including the Swan River Pelican the Porcupine and Duck mountains and Northwestern Manitoba including the flin flon and Snow Lake he Bac country including Forest is allowed for those with natural resources Keith said that except for fire permits will normally be but Access to the Duck Mountain area will be carefully controlled with roadblocks at entrances due to fire Hazard Keith said those with permits should Tell natural resources staff and relatives when and where they will be in Case a fire he said boats and canoes must be launched Only from lakes with developed Keith said restrictions previously in place in the White Shell and Southeastern part of Manitoba have been As have those in Turtle Mountain provincial Forest and but he said roadblocks remain on Highway 304 just North of Black River and West of he reminded residents that open fires Are allowed Only at approved and Only Between 8 and 8 All restrictions will be reviewed As Keith he said the three biggest fires in the Manigotagan and in the Interlake May be under control by the end of the but extinguishing them will Likely take two More about firefighters will Battle blazes this Keith Toyota deaths classified death Cyril husband of Florence Allan of widower of Cora of Ste son of Michel Pedro store and Theresa Jessie widow of Dorothy of Otta formerly of wife of Douglas wife of Joseph Kathleen of Winni win Tario Woodhaven Toyota Toronto up six winning numbers were chosen yesterday in the win Tario the win Ning number is 345671 the winning number is other winning numbers 110355 i ;