| Comments | Manitoba, April to October 2003. The province of Manitoba experienced 1,148 wildfires during the 2003 season. While the fires actually began at the end of March, damages began to affect communities in April. The Thompson area was particularly affected. A lightening strike near Thompson began a forest fire that was sustained through hot and dry weather. Approximately 900 people were evacuated, many from aboriginal comunities including: 250 people from Red Sucker Lake First Nation and 92 people from God's River First Nation were evacuated due to fires that began in July. In August, approximately 155 people were evacuated from Shamattawa while 250 were evacuated from Split Lake. |