Manitoba Towns Brace for Wildfire Season

0:00It's April 9th, from your city to your ears. This is Vancouver News today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with the story. As snow melts in Manitoba, northern towns gear up for wildfire season, with fire risks predicted well above average in June and July. Officials from Natural Resources Canada forecast hotter, drier conditions across much of the province, especially of North, based on weather patterns, like temperature and wind. Last year, marked Manitoba's worst wildfire season in 30 years, claiming two lives, evacuating over 32,000 people, and scorching two. Point 1 million hectares. Places like Flinflon and Lin Lake got hit hard, with less snow this winter, leaving soils even drier than before. Mayors in those spots are sounding alarms. Flinflon's George Fontaine says they're waiting on extra firefighting gear and crafting better evacuation plans while teaming up with nearby. The Scatchewan Communities. Lin Lake's Brandon Dula, which points to last year shortages in pumps and hoses, plus

1:03the need for more training for volunteer crews. The province pushes back, with Natural Resources Minister Ian Bushee, noting they've slashed full-time staff vacancies from 20% to 10%. They're hiring crews now, starting training next month, and urging towns and first nations to call for equipment support. All eyes stay on these preps as summer nears, hoping lessons from last year's chaos keep flames at bay and communities standing strong.