Wildfire crews battle 26 fires to date this season in Manitoba

There have been 26 wildfires in Manitoba so far this season, according to officials with the province's wildfire program.

Of those, 10 were burning as of Tuesday. Most have been in central and eastern Manitoba. 

Gary Friesen, manager of the provincial government's wildfire fighting efforts, said the hot, dry weather that has golf fans and campers excited is worrying firefighters.

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"The drying period is a little concerning right now because there is no end in sight," he said.

Four helicopters, six water bombers and 10 extra firefighters are helping fight fires this week, said Friesen. While the province is dry, he isn't worried about Manitoba getting as bad as Alberta is right now. 

"We did have good rainfall last fall and average to slightly below average snowfall," Friesen added. "Those two factors have really helped us to keep the numbers down for spring fires."

Friesen said that means plenty of moisture is still locked into the soil. But an extended dry spell can be trouble.

A raging wildfire near Fort McMurray, Alta., forced evacuations on Tuesday and caused gridlock on highways in the area.

The fire risk in Alberta and Saskatchewan is considered high to extreme. Friesen said central and eastern Manitoba have the highest risk in our province right now.

Friesen said anyone travelling in Manitoba's back country should be careful especially if using all-terrain vehicles, as hot parts on the machines can easily ignite dry grass and brush. 

He said it's too early to say what the summer might bring in terms of wildfires here, or what a dry summer might mean for campers in Manitoba's provincial parks. 

The City of Winnipeg has banned open-air fires due to dry conditions and strong winds.

The province has also stopped issuing burning permits due to the same conditions.