WINNIPEG — Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew is touring an area in the province’s northwest today that has been hit by a large wildfire.

Hundreds of people were told to leave Cranberry Portage on the weekend as winds drove the fire close to the community.

Earl Simmons, the province’s wildfire director, says the blaze spread faster than any fire he’s seen.

Some residents are being offered an escorted drive through the fire zone today.

In a social media post, the Rural Municipality of Kelsey says residents who went south to The Pas and wish to relocate north to Flin Flon are being given the opportunity this afternoon.

The municipality says it is not sure how long the state of emergency will last.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2024

The Canadian Press