The 2025 wildfire season is now the worst on record in the past 30 years, with more than 1.55 million hectares (ha) of area burned in the province and many fires still burning.
Wildfires have caused considerable damage to our poles, power lines and other equipment across a wide area and resulted in power outages in some communities. We understand the additional strain this puts on communities and families affected by wildfires.
customers affected
1,388customers
damaged structures
1,067structures
structures repaired or replaced
538structures
Our crews have repaired or replaced hundreds of structures and many kilometers of power lines, along with other equipment such as transformers, in areas hit by wildfires and are in the process of repairing and replacing many more. Some damage is in remote, hard to access areas and in difficult terrain.
In addition, fires are still burning in several areas, meaning we may still see additional damage to our lines that could impact restoration efforts and timelines. Restoration timelines can also be affected by smoke, weather, access issues and the logistics of housing large numbers of crews.
We are receiving mutual aid from SaskPower who is supplying two additional tracked vehicles with crews to help with restoration efforts in difficult terrain. We have also engaged several contractors to assist with our restoration efforts.
Our crews and our mutual aid partners and contractors, can only enter an area to assess and begin restoration work when the Manitoba Wildfire Service determines the area is safe and is expected to remain so. The safety of our crews personnel is our absolute top priority.
Restoration summary
Last updated on: August 22, 2025
| Community/area | Customers without power | Structures known to be damaged | Structures Repaired or replaced to date | Current activities | Estimated restoration date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathias Colomb Cree Nation (Pukatawagan) | 450 | 249 | 131 | Materials for Line 7 on site, 131 structures complete, 31 remaining. Materials for Line 8 shipping to site Monday, August 25th (87 structures requiring repair). | Week of September 28, 2025 |
| Marcel Colomb First Nation (Black Sturgeon Falls) and Lynn Lake | 390 | 7 | 0 | Material package complete, arrangements made to move material early September. | Week of September 21, 2025 |
| O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation / South Indian Lake | 245 | 150 | 0 | Material shipped, crews moving to site today. | Week of October 12, 2025 |
| Leaf Rapids | 212 | 13 | 0 | Crews on site, material on site by end of day today. | Week of September 7, 2025 |
| Other areas | 91 | 648 | 407 | Repairs are continuing. | To be determined |
ABOUT ESTIMATED TIMES FOR RESTORATION (ETRs): These times are estimates only, and subject to revision based on discoveries of additional damage, weather issues, ongoing fires and smoke, difficult access and other issues beyond Manitoba Hydro’s control. ETRs will be updated and revised as work progresses.
Our response effort
In some cases, power lines are down in remote areas with little or no road access. Smoke or bad weather can also limit access even by air. Accommodations for crews working in remote areas are limited. This can impact estimated times for restoration.
Process for outage restoration
- Assess. Crews determine what is damaged and what needs repair or replacement to get power restored safely. In remote areas with no roads or other access, we make these assessments from a helicopter flight. Our crews can only make these assessments if weather conditions allow for safe flights and Manitoba Wildfire Service has cleared us to enter it. . In certain case a more detailed ground assessment may be required following an aerial assessment.
- Procure materials and supplies, if required. We store as many materials and supplies as we can, but certain specialized equipment may need to be ordered as needed. We make every effort to order these in advance of beginning restoration work.
- Plan and prioritize where crews and materials need to go to restore as many customers as possible in the shortest amount of time. In remote areas this planning involves arranging lodging for crews and may involve setting up camps in remote areas to minimize travel times.
- Transport materials and crews (and maybe camp supplies) to work sites.
- Begin work work replacing broken or damaged equipment and repairing and salvaging equipment and other materials wherever possible. Salvage work takes a second priority to repair efforts.
Preventing wildfire outages
We are taking steps to prevent or limit further damage and ensure the power stays on in more communities:
- Working with Manitoba Wildfire Service to fight fires.
- Installing sprinklers that spray down critical buildings and equipment with water.
- Managing vegetation around electrical infrastructure so fire can’t jump from trees to poles.
- Installing fire mesh (a fire-retardant material that expands with heat) on wooden poles.
- Exploring alternative materials for fire-retardant properties in the future.