and the latest information regarding the forest fire
An important road to a northern Manitoba community threatened by fire is being shut down.
Sherridon Road the main overland link to the small community of Sherridon, which has a population of about 100.
It is located 15 kilometers north of Cranberry Portage, which is under evacuation alert due to a massive forest fire burning is about 13 kilometres away.
The fire at Kisseynew Lake, between Cranberry Portage and Sherridon, had grown to about 40,000 hectares by noon Thursday — four times the size it was late Wednesday.
It was up to 45,000 hecatres by midday Friday but has not moved any closer to Cranberry Portage. Rather, it is going the other way, said Duane Feely, supervisor of aviation and field services with Manitoba Conservation.
Extremely dry conditions and gusting winds are fueling the blaze, which was spraked by a lightning strike, he said.
"Mother Nature is going to have to give us significant rains and once that happens we'll be able to get on the fire line and make some headway with the ground crews, heavy equipement, water bombers and helicopter operations," said Feely.
Close to 200 firefighters from Manitoba, Ontario, British Columbia and Minnesota are battling a blaze that has forced the evacuation of Cormorant and put Cranberry Portage on alert. Close to 200 firefighters from Manitoba, Ontario, British Columbia and Minnesota are there.
The Manitoba government has also requested 60 firefighters from the United States.
A health hazard caused by the thick smoke prompted the province on Wednesday to evacuate the village of Cormorant, about 70 kilometres southeast of Cranberry Portage.
The half-dozen people who live in the tiny community have relocated to The Pas, about 100 kilometres south.
The main highways in the area — Highway 10 and Highways 39 — both remain open.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2010/06/25/mb-sherridon-road-closed-fire-manitoba.html