A chronological overview of the 1989 fire season in Manitoba

Abstract

In 1989 a new record was established for the number of fires (1147) and area burned (3.28 million ha) in Manitoba. These fires resulted in the unprecedented evacuation of 24,500 people from 32 different communities and cost over $68 million (CDN) to suppress. The first major outbreak of fires occurred in central Manitoba in mid-May and was followed by a second peak of fire activity in northern Manitoba between July 16 and August 2. Both periods were characterized by multiple fire ignitions, severe fire weather and fire danger conditions, and extreme fire behavior. A general description of the events that took place during this historic fire season are presented in this paper.