"Manitoba Government Launches 2025 Wildfire Disaster Financial Assistance Program for Impacted Municipalities" - AI Generated Image
The Manitoba government has announced the launch of the 2025 wildfire Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) program, aimed at helping municipalities and local authorities recover from what officials have described as the most severe wildfire season in the province’s history.
Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor said the program will provide support for emergency response, recovery efforts, relief services, and long-term mitigation projects. Municipalities directly affected by wildfires, as well as those that incurred significant costs hosting evacuees, will be eligible to apply.
“This wildfire season has tested communities across Manitoba in ways we have never seen before,” Naylor said. “Through this program, we are making sure local governments have the resources they need to recover and rebuild.”
The move follows months of fire activity that forced evacuations in numerous communities, particularly in northern and eastern Manitoba. Thompson declared a state of emergency earlier this year, while residents in Leaf Rapids, Cranberry Portage, Split Lake, and other northern communities were evacuated as major fires burned close by.
The Manitoba Wildfire Service reported that as of early June, crews were responding to 28 active wildfires and had already faced 113 fires for the season — well above the long-term average. Several of the largest blazes, including those near Sherridon, Cross Lake, and Bissett, each burned tens of thousands of hectares.
In addition to municipal support, evacuees are receiving daily financial aid through the Wildfire Incidental Support Program, administered by the Canadian Red Cross. Adults are eligible for $34 per day, with children receiving $27. The governments of Canada and Manitoba have also pledged to match donations to the Red Cross 2025 Manitoba Wildfire Appeal, tripling every dollar given.
The DFA program is designed to cover uninsurable losses to public infrastructure and essential services. Costs that exceed a threshold set by Ottawa will trigger additional federal support through the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements.
With northern Manitoba facing the highest wildfire risk in the province, representing more than a quarter of the region’s economy, provincial officials say the new program will also emphasize long-term mitigation to reduce future risks.
Applications for assistance will open in the coming weeks, with details available through Manitoba’s Emergency Measures Organization.
A member of the Canadian Association of Journalists, Emma returned to core news journalism in early 2025 following a distinguished 15-year career as a content publisher and digital strategist. This background allows her to combine traditional journalistic integrity with a modern, data-driven approach to storytelling.
Emma holds a First-Class Honours degree in Business Studies from the University of Ulster and a postgraduate diploma in Accounting, providing her with a unique analytical lens when covering municipal politics, community development, and the social issues shaping Thompson, MB.
Contact her at emma@thethompsonnews.ca.
