Canada military aircraft aid in Manitoba wildfire rescue

The Canadian military joined civilian efforts today to evacuate residents of remote indigenous communities threatened by sudden wildfires in northern Manitoba, sending in Hercules transporters to airlift residents to safety.
Up to 50 small charter planes from across Canada have also answered a call for help in the evacuation from the Canadian Red Cross.
There are no roads leading to many of these northern Manitoba communities, forcing residents to rely on air travel to get in and out.
And their airstrips are relatively small, which limits the size and number of planes that can be used in the emergency response.

"You have planes landing, covered in soot and ashes, and they have to be cleaned off" before loading up and taking off again, Manitoba opposition lawmaker Judy Klassen, who lives in the affected area, told the daily Winnipeg Free Press.
Only two small planes at a time can fit on most of these northern runways, she added.

A total of 3,700 people were to be flown from the Island Lake communities about 600 kilometers (370 miles) south to the provincial capital Winnipeg.
By midday today, 1,150 had arrived safely, according to the Red Cross.
There, they will be housed in local hotels and at the city's convention center, where staff were busy overnight setting up almost 1,800 cots.

Officials said late yesterday that the fires grew quickly the day before, fanned by strong winds over dry forests.
The largest of several blazes covered approximately 77,000 hectares (190,000 acres) and was less than one kilometer from the nearest residence in the town of Wasagamack.
Dense smoke has hampered firefighting and evacuation efforts but rain was forecast for tomorrow.