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Two quick spreading, out-of-control wildfires were reported near the Manitoba community of Lac du Bonnet, which was devastated by fires last spring.
Lac du Bonnet is about 95 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.
Manitoba’s FireView report, which was last updated with Tuesday’s data, said the blaze growing north of Lac du Bonnet, on Red Deer Hills, was 205 hectares.
It grew more than 100 hectares when compared to the size reported on Sunday.
A second fire, burning south of the community, has grown from 15 hectares on Sunday to 398 hectares on Tuesday, according to the province’s fire status report.
“Both those fires were concerning in terms of its proximity to homes on the edge of the forest,” said Earl Simmons, chief of the Lac du Bonnet Fire Department.
The department’s goal was to ensure the community would not be disturbed by this fire activity. Two properties were of main concern to the fire department as the blazes spread, but no damage was reported, the local fire chief said.
Manitoba and Ontario sent waterbombers to fight the fires in the out-of-town, inaccessible areas for the local fire department, he added.
In a statement for Global News, a provincial spokesperson said the current fire danger is considered low in central and eastern parts of Manitoba, including Lac du Bonnet.
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“Both (fires are) being actioned by the Manitoba Wildfire Service, but are not threatening any communities,” it said.
Scorched trees and exposed granite on May 30, 2025, after a wildfire tore though Lac du Bonnet.
Josh Arason / Global News
The community is still recovering after it was rocked by a wildfire in May 2025 that killed two people and destroyed dozens of properties — scarring the landscape beyond recognition and leaving it looking like a war zone.
“After last year, we continued to build with the fire department here,” said Simmons. The local fire department consists of volunteers who were trained in wildland firefighting and lowering fire risk.
“The fire danger isn’t as high as it was a year ago, so that’s good. And if these rains continue, it’ll certainly be a blessing – but even with a lower fire danger, we still have fires starting and (have seen) what happens, and it doesn’t take long.”
John Fleming, the municipal emergency coordinator in Lac du Bonnet, said mitigating the fire risk and ensuring homes are FireSmart safe are some of his team’s priorities. He said the community is consulting experts to understand, and avoid, area-specific risks.
“It is going to be an exciting time, but it’s not a one-and-done … We certainly can’t afford to do everything the first year,” Fleming said.
The emergency response team has grown from a dozen members to 12 to 21, he added.
No cause has been determined for the two fires, according to the province’s fire reports.
There were 40 active wildfires burning in Manitoba as of Wednesday morning, the province said.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
