Flights and buses loaded loaded with hundreds of evacuated forced by forest fires that burn near Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation arrive in Winnipeg on Monday, but some express their concern for the conditions in the congregated refuge that most are directed.
A mandatory evacuation order for the residents of the Nation CREE, also known as Nelson House, arrived during the weekend on the poor air quality and fears that forest fires closed the only access road to the community, located approximately 600 northwest of Winnipeg.
Little more than 1,500 residents, including all priority evacuees, including children, elders and people with underlying health conditions, had left the community on Sunday, Councilor Kim Linklater told CBC News.
With little or no hotel room available in Winnipeg, Nisichawayasihk hopes that most of its evacuees will be left in the Congregated Manitoba refuge at the RBC Convention Center.
But some evacuees have reported long waiting at the facilities to register with the Red Cross, some contact Linklater in the early hours of Monday morning, arguing that they have not been able to ensure a cradle to sleep.
“They are bothering themselves a lot and are tired,” Linklater said.
“I understand that there is scarcity everywhere, but when you expect a community, everything should be prepared beforehand.”
Lenora Spence and her 23 -year -old son arrived at the Convention Center in Winnipeg around 12:40 am on Monday after they were flown from Nisichawayasihk with a suitcase.
She said she took hours to get a space in the congregated shelter and with hundreds of other crowded in the installation, it has been a challenge to take care of her son with special medical needs.
“I feel safe from the fire, but this is not safe … for him,” he said.
For Spence, it was a priority to get his son from the Northern community as soon as possible because he is epileptic and with the smoke of forest fires, he has been experiencing more seizures than before.
But “it’s very difficult … [to] Have a nonverbal child who cannot be close to many people in the environment and sleep in a crib without a blanket. “
Some of those concerns are also worrying Nichole Wood-Hart, an evacuo of Nisichawayasihk that has remained in the co-giving shelter with his five daughters and son.
“It’s not safe for them to be in this place,” he said. “It’s not safe for them to run … here, even though they need fresh air.”
The space in the congregated shelter is limited, and the number of people who remain within the uploads day by day, Wood-Hart said.
Access to the bathroom is limited due to overcrowding, and Wood-Hart’s family has limited itself to staying in a small space with people walking at all times.
“It’s hard because I always worry,” he said. “I am crazy to protect my daughters because it is dangerous here.”
While he has asked for help to obtain supplies such as milk for his newborn son, he said that support is limited and comes only after insisting on volunteers.
“I would only like they could help us better. This is not a place to keep so many children all together.”
The Red Cross said in a statement that it is working with the province and the indigenous services of Canada to support the evacuees. As of July 30, more than 28,000 people of more than 11,000 homes in Manitoba have registered in the organization.
2,000 still waiting to leave
Nisichawayasihk’s deputy director Marcel Moody said it is a “difficult moment” for the community, they are trying to administer without enough hotel spaces to accommodate residents who are already out, and the 2,000 in the waiting line to leave.
“In the convention center, the building is cold, you don’t have enough blankets, there are children running, crying and the admission process is slow,” Moody said.
But the nation believes is trying to address those problems with the hope of maintaining the united community while evacuating.
“There are some problems in Winnipeg with people who disappear, drink and possible sexual farms, we have to make sure that our people are safe.”
At least three forest fires are burning near Nisichawayasihk, Moody said. The closest is approximately 10 kilometers north of the community, while another fire is growing about 20 kilometers west of the nation believes.
The latest data on the Manitoba forest fire services map show at least two forest fires that burn north of Nisichawayasihk, including one that has grown to more than 46,000 hectares for Saturday.
According to the last fire bulletin in the province, issued last week, the Manitoba forest fire service was responding to 127 active forest fires throughout the province, which has seen a total of 351 forest fires to date, well above the average for this time of the year of 276.
“The winds have been favorable,” Moody said.
But extended precipitation is still needed to help forest fire services to get the flames.
“[We] I hope the best, summer will end in four weeks, maybe the first fire will not come out until we have snow, “said Moody.” It’s crazy. “
Find the latest forest fire information in these sources:
Are you an evacuation that needs help? Contact Manitoba 211 Calling 211 from any place in Manitoba or email 211MB@findhelp.ca.
