With 28 active wildfires in the province – 10 of which are out of control – and the province under a state of emergency, Manitoba is urging tourists to reconsider visiting as it works to find shelter for a flood of wildfire evacuees now reaching 21,000.

“This is one of the largest evacuations in our province’s history,” Lisa Naylor, the Manitoba cabinet minister in charge of emergency management, said Monday. “The government anticipates there may be a need for more hotel rooms as the wildfire season continues. For that reason we are urging Manitobans and Canadians to reconsider non-essential travel and event plans within Manitoba.”

She added: “There are thousands of evacuees currently displaced and the provincial government along with its partners have been working quickly to find accommodation that fits their comfort, medical and family needs.”

Naylor acknowledged it was a difficult announcement to make.

“We absolutely know how important tourism is to Manitoba and we are very mindful of the many workers whose livelihoods depend on a strong tourism sector.”

The Manitoba Hotel Association estimates there are about 15,000 hotel rooms in the province.

The province has set up four congregate shelters for wildfire evacuees, with reception centres in Winnipeg, Brandon and Thompson.

Manitoba has more than 300 firefighters battling blazes from the remote northwest down through the southeast. Crews have come from other provinces and the United States, with more U.S. crews expected Monday.

That firefighting work, along with a little bit of weekend rain, has kept the fires from overwhelming evacuated communities.

The largest fire, menacing the city of Flin Flon and surrounding communities, sits at more than 3,000 square kilometres. All 5,000 residents of Flin Flon and thousands more in the area are out.

In north-central Manitoba, fires have forced 6,700 out of Pimicikamak Cree Nation.

In total, there are 27 communities under evacuation orders.

Thousands also remained out of their homes in Saskatchewan and Alberta, including between 10,000 and 15,000 in Saskatchewan alone.

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