Manitoba Wildfires: EcoFlow Backup Power for Emergency Readiness
Wildfire season in Manitoba is starting earlier than before, becoming increasingly dangerous and harder to predict. Preparation is critical, with hundreds of wildfires yearly and over 6,000 in our worst years. Whether you're in a high-risk zone or not, a fast-moving wildfire can disrupt power, block roads, and force evacuations. This step-by-step guide walks you through how to stay informed, build your emergency kit, create an emergency plan, and power through outages so you can keep your family safe when every second counts.
Does Manitoba Have Forest Fires?
Manitoba has a fairly busy fire season every year, typically averaging 367 per year. Like much of Canada, Manitoba faces a growing risk of extreme weather and wildfires as a warming climate leads to prolonged droughts and increasingly dry forests. The most ever recorded was 6,706 wildfires in 2013. In 2024, there were 305 wildfires, with 193 from natural causes and 112 caused by humans. Being prepared for wildfires is essential to keeping your family safe.
How To Prepare for Manitoba Wildfires: A Step-By-Step Guide
When you are prepared for wildfires, you can react safely and quickly, reducing your anxiety while increasing the chances that you can keep your family safe when disaster strikes.
Step 1. Know The Risks
Manitoba experiences an average of 367 wildfires every year, but that number can jump to over 6,000 some years. While wildfires are often located in the boreal forests away from our more populated areas, they can and do threaten homes and infrastructure every year. No area of our province is immune to devastating fires.
Fire season typically starts mid-May in Manitoba, but in 2024, it began on April 7. Stay up-to-date on current conditions with your local news and by checking the Province of Manitoba’s FireView website for current wildfire activity, which you can easily view on their interactive map. You can also sign up for AlertReady, which offers real-time alerts sent to your phone. If your power goes out due to a wildfire, you can stay connected and informed using one of the EcoFlow Portable Power Stations.
Step 2. Create an Emergency Supply Kit
When a wildfire threatens your home, you will need to evacuate to keep your family safe. Creating a portable emergency kit contained in a sturdy bag or easy-to-carry bin can make all the difference in keeping your family safe. Ideally, create one for home and work, and have emergency essentials for your car since you will need to hit the road when wildfires strike.
Your emergency kit should contain the following, along with any personal items you may want or need:
4 litres of water per person per day to last 3 days
Non-perishable food for each person for 3 days
Can opener, eating utensils
Food and water for your pets, plush leashes, carriers, or other items
Complete first aid kit, including burn bandages and ointments
Essential prescription drugs
Fire extinguisher
Emergency whistle
Soap, toilet paper, hand sanitizer
Rechargeable LED flashlights
Multi-tool and duct tape
Seasonal clothing for each family member
EcoFlow RAPID Magnetic Power Bank: This compact and portable power bank will keep your phone charged so you can stay connected and informed.
Step 3. Create an Emergency Plan
Next, create an emergency plan and practice it with your entire household at least once a year. Your plan should include a communication plan, including who to contact in an emergency, how to contact them, and where to meet if you become separated. Consider a virtual meeting place like Facebook if you cannot meet in person. Also, go over the contents of your emergency kit with your family and what to do with them, including some basic first aid. This is also the perfect time to refresh your food, water, and medical supplies, and recharge your flashlights and portable power devices.
Since wildfires can cut off evacuation routes, it’s wise to have alternative evacuation routes and several backup routes planned. Always check Manitoba 511 for current road conditions before you leave to ensure the path is clear. However, if you’re under an evacuation order, follow the instructions given by emergency personnel on where to go and how to get there.
Step 4. Know Your Evacuation Stages
If you’re under an Evacuation Alert, you must prepare to leave on short notice. Put your emergency kit in your car, gather pets, important documents, and cherished memos, and have everything packed in the car ready to go. Disconnect your automatic garage door opener so you can open it manually if the power goes out, or better yet, park your car outside so you can leave quickly.
If you’re under an Evacuation Order, you must leave immediately, which is why packing ahead of time is essential. On your way out, close doors and windows and turn on exterior lights so your home is visible to firefighters. Follow the instructions given by emergency officials on where to go; never attempt alternate routes, as they may be impassable.
Getting an Evacuation Rescind means the danger is over, and you can return home if the roads are clear.
Step 5. Purchase an Emergency Power Supply
Wildfires often cause power outages in Manitoba, so having a backup power supply is critical for staying connected and informed so you can keep your family safe.
The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus is perfect for power outages since it has 1024Wh output, which will run a refrigerator and keep devices charged. Yet, it’s compact and portable enough to easily fit in your car if you need power on the road. Since it doesn’t use fossil fuels, there’s no risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, which kills 300 people every year in Canada. Having permanent or portable solar panels is also an excellent idea for recharging and staying connected during extended outages.
Step 6. Protect Your Home
You can do plenty of things at home to reduce wildfire risks. For instance, remove all shrubs, trees, firewood, and other combustible materials immediately next to your home, plant native fire-resistant vegetation in your yard, and clean up low branches and fallen debris that can fuel fires. Check out the FireSmart Canada website for more information. Finally, check your home insurance to ensure it covers wildfire damage.
How Do I Report a Wildfire in Manitoba?
To report a wildfire in Manitoba, call 911 or 1-800-782-0076. Note that these numbers are only for reporting fires; you cannot get information on fire status from them. For that, check the Province of Manitoba’s FireView website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Province Has the Most Wildfires?
British Columbia usually has the highest number of individual wildfires in Canada, about 1600 annually. Alberta experiences the second-highest incidence of wildfires, with about 1200 annually.
What Was the Big Wildfire in Canada?
The 2023 wildfire season was the most devastating ever recorded in Canada. Over 6,000 fires burned 15 million hectares of land (an area larger than all of England), and more than twice the previous record in Canada, set in 1989.
What Is the Manitoba Wildfire Service?
The Manitoba Wildfire Service is the government agency responsible for detecting, tracking, and suppressing wildfires in Manitoba. It manages human and equipment resources for monitoring and fighting fires and collaborates with other firefighting agencies through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC).
Final Thoughts
Manitoba’s wildfire threat is real and growing; being prepared is your best defence. By understanding the risks, building a solid emergency plan, packing a go-bag, and ensuring you have backup power, you’ll be ready to act quickly and protect your family. The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus portable power station offers safe, reliable energy for power outages without any fuels or toxic fumes, so you can stay connected and informed. Get prepared now and be ready because wildfire season waits for no one.