Thousands To Evacuate As Canada's Manitoba Province Declares Wildfire Emergency

Earlier this month, two residents of the small community of Lac du Bonnet died after being trapped in a major wildfire northeast of Winnipeg (Credit: AFP)

More than 17,000 people in Canada's western Manitoba province were being evacuated on Wednesday as the region experienced its worst start to a wildfire season in years.

"The Manitoba government has declared a province-wide state of emergency due to the wildfire situation," Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew told a news conference.