Wildfire officials in Saskatchewan have lifted a provincial fire ban because the weather has improved, while thousands from displaced communities in Manitoba have begun to return home.
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency says the ban was lifted late Wednesday for all Crown lands north of the provincial forest boundary up to the Churchill River.
A notice says provincial parks and municipalities may still have their own fire bans or restrictions in place. Residents have been told to check online for local bans.
Several areas in Saskatchewan and Manitoba have spent the summer under one or more fire bans due to devastating wildfires that have forced thousands from their homes.
Manitoba remains under a provincial state of emergency due to its wildfire season — the worst on record in Manitoba in the past 30 years. The state of emergency is in place until Aug. 22.
Manitoba officials said that, as of Wednesday, the fire danger was low in most of the province, with pockets of moderate fire danger in the southern and central areas and a mix of moderate and high fire danger in the northwest.
Evacuees from several Manitoba communities have started going home over the last week, as fire crews have made good progress with the help of rain.
As of Thursday morning, the province said 12,800 people remained out of their homes — down from roughly 14,000 a week ago.
Evacuation orders were lifted earlier this week for the Little Grand Rapids and Garden Hill First Nations as well as Stevenson Island.
Canada's military and the Red Cross were brought in to help transfer more than 2,800 people out of Garden Hill in mid-July. The nearby, remote Stevenson Island was later evacuated as fires threatened the area.
Residents of Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, also called Nelson House, in northern Manitoba also began re-entry this week after an evacuation order was issued there earlier this month.
Those who left in their own vehicles were allowed to start going back Wednesday. A social media post from the community says flights and bus transportation were expected to begin Friday. There was no word on when evacuees sent out of province could return home.
Elsewhere in northern Manitoba, evacuees from Pimicikamak Cree Nation were told Wednesday they could return home after two separate evacuations this summer.
The Manitoba Wildfire Service says there were 161 active wildfires as of Wednesday, and Saskatchewan reported 79 active blazes.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2025.
Aaron Sousa and Brittany Hobson, The Canadian Press
