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Red Lobster claws its way out of bankruptcy after judge approves sale

After months of dozens of restaurant closings and headlines about “endless shrimp” woes, the seafood chain says it will soon exit from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

A U.S. bankruptcy judge on Thursday approved the casual seafood chain’s reorganization plan, which includes a lender group led by asset manager Fortress acquiring the business. The green light arrives under just four months after Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy protection as it pursued a sale, following years of mounting losses and dwindling customers while it struggled to keep up with competitors.

At the time of filing in May, Red Lobster’s leadership shared plans to “simplify the business” through a reduction of locations. The chain, which lost $76 million in 2023, shuttered dozens of its North American restaurants over recent months — both leading up to and during the bankruptcy process. That includes more than 50 locations whose equipment was put up for auction just days before the Chapter 11 petition, followed by additional closures throughout the bankruptcy process.

Red Lobster said Thursday that it expects to operate about 544 locations across the U.S. and Canada upon emerging from bankruptcy. That’s down from 578 disclosed as of May’s bankruptcy filing.

Under terms of the acquisition, which is expected to close by the end of September, the chain will continue to operate as an independent company.



Red Lobster plans to close more restaurants after filing for bankruptcy

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Once the deal is finalized, Red Lobster will also get a new CEO — Damola Adamolekun, former chief executive of P.F. Chang’s.

Adamolekun was appointed to head RL Investor Holdings, the newly formed entity acquiring Red Lobster, by Fortress last week. In a statement Thursday, Adamolekun said that Red Lobster “has a tremendous future” and thanked Jonathan Tibus, who will leave the company and step down as CEO, for his leadership during the bankruptcy process.

Red Lobster’s purchaser is also providing additional funding to help the Orlando, Florida-based chain get back on its feet post-emergence. Adamolekun said the company’s long-term investment plan includes a commitment of more than $60 million in new funding.

Multiple ownership changes

Known for its affordable seafood and cheddar biscuits, Red Lobster has seen multiple ownership changes over the course of its 56-year history. The brand was founded back in 1968 by Bill Darden, who sold Red Lobster to General Mills in 1970. General Mills later went on to form Darden Restaurants, which owns Olive Garden and other chains. Darden Restaurants was spun off from General Mills in 1995.

Darden Restaurants later sold Red Lobster to a private equity firm in 2014. Thai Union Group, one of the world’s largest seafood suppliers, first invested in Red Lobster in 2016 and upped its stake in 2020 — but announced its intention to exit its minority investment earlier this year.

When announcing plans to divest in January, CEO Thiraphong Chansiri said the COVID-19 pandemic, industry headwinds and rising operating costs from Red Lobster had resulted in “prolonged negative financial contributions to Thai Union and its shareholders.” It reported a $19 million loss from Red Lobster for the first nine months of 2023.

While not the sole reason, among sources of loss were — yes — those endless shrimp. Last year, Red Lobster significantly expanded the iconic all-you-can-eat special. But customer demand overwhelmed what the chain could afford. Thai Union leadership later noted that the deal’s $20 price tag wasn’t making enough money.

Last year’s shrimp debacle wasn’t the first time Red Lobster saw consequences of “endless” promises. In 2003, the company reportedly lost millions of dollars on an all-you-can-eat “Endless Crab” promotion when crab prices rose.

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Canada wildfires spread, forcing more than 33,000 to evacuate as smoke impacts U.S. and reaches Europe

Toronto — At least 33,400 people have been forced to evacuate their homes in three Canadian provinces due to active wildfires that are sending smoke drifting across the border into northern U.S. states and all the way across the Atlantic to Europe. As of Wednesday two deaths were blamed on the blazes.

Officials have declared a state of emergency in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where crews and military forces were battling this week to try to contain dozens of out-of-control fires.

Some 17,000 people got evacuation orders in Manitoba alone, many of them seeking shelter in Winnipeg, while others were put up in hotels in Niagara Falls, in neighboring Ontario province.

“This is the largest evacuation Manitoba will have seen in most people’s living memory,” Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said during a news conference on May 29.  

All of Manitoba was under an “extreme fire danger” warning on Tuesday, according to the regional government. The Canadian armed forces were assisting with the evacuation of two separate Indigenous communities in the province.

Kinwew confirmed that two people in the small town of Lac du Bonnet were killed, representing the first civilian casualties from wildfires in Manitoba’s recent history, according to regional media reports.

In Saskatchewan, about 15,000 people had been evacuated by Tuesday, according to the province’s top public official. 

Smoke from a wildfire fills the air as a trailer burns in La Ronge, Saskatchewan, Canada, June 2, 2025, in a screengrab obtained from social media video.

Bruce Chad Thompson via REUTERS


“We didn’t have a very good day yesterday, with the weather the way it was, where the fires are and just how aggressive they are as they bear down on communities,” Saskatchewan premier Scott Moe said Tuesday, according to The Canadian Press news agency. “We’re probably approaching in the neighborhood of 15,000 people that have been evacuated across the province and being supported in communities throughout Saskatchewan, and more families are leaving their homes as we speak.”

In Alberta, more than 1,400 people were ordered to evacuate to shelters provided in hotels and other temporary accommodations. The province had 56 active wildfires as of Tuesday, 27 of them deemed out of control. 

Conditions did improve slightly, with cooler temperatures and higher humidity helping firefighters in Alberta, according to an update shared Tuesday by provincial officials.  

As of Tuesday, there were 21 active wildfires in Saskatchewan, according to the province’s Public Safety Agency, including eight deemed completely uncontained.

In Manitoba, there were 27 active fires on Tuesday, nine of them considered out of control, which is above the average for this time of year. 

According to the province’s fire situation report, most of those fires were caused by human activity. As a precaution, Manitoba parks were advised to prepare for potential evacuations.

Canada’s wildfire season typically begins in April and lasts until late September, with most activity occurring in June and July. In recent years, however, it has started as early as February, due to warmer weather and drier conditions.

Smoke from the wildfires has been impacting air quality in several U.S. states, including Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The smoke had reached parts of western Europe, too, according to climate monitoring services.

“Smoke originating from the wildfires in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan has been transported across the Atlantic, reaching Europe during the last few days with forecasts showing further smoke transport this week,” according to a statement published Tuesday by the European Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS).

Firefighters, emergency crews and aircraft from other provinces, and from the U.S., were on their way to help fight the wildfires in Canada.

“I’ve never seen anything like it, in the way of the ferocity of the fires, how quickly they’re moving, how they’re changing and encroaching on communities,” Moe, the Saskatchewan premier whose home is lives close to some of the active fires, said according to national broadcaster CBC. 

While Alberta was seeing a slightly improved picture, in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the forecast for the coming days was for strong winds and no precipitation, meaning little expected relief for the teams battling the fires.

Canada faced its worst wildfire season on record in 2023. Eight firefighters were killed and a record 18 million acres scorched, making the blazes the biggest single emitter of carbon in the world that year.

Ahmad Mukhtar

Ahmad Mukhtar is a producer for CBS News based in Toronto, Canada. He covers politics, conflict and terrorism, with a focus on news from Canada and his home nation of Afghanistan, which he left following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.

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50% steel and aluminum tariffs take effect today. Here’s what could get more expensive.

The Trump administration raised tariffs on aluminum and steel to 50% today, a move experts say could increase costs on everything from homes and cars to household and office supplies.

While the U.S. has carved out its own niche in domestic metals manufacturing, it also relies on imports from abroad to fill in the gaps: America imported 26.2 million metric tons of steel and 5.4 million metric tons of aluminum from abroad last year, according to the International Trade Administration. Canada serves as the biggest foreign source for both metals.

The White House has been aggressively trying to pare back on America’s reliance on foreign nations, imposing 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum in February, citing national security concerns. President Trump, during a visit to a U.S. Steel mill in Pittsburgh on May 30, announced he was doubling down on that rate, raising the 25% levies to 50%. The higher tariffs went into effect Wednesday at 12:01 a.m. EST.

While the new tariffs have won over some of the nation’s largest steel makers, who saw huge gains in share prices following Mr. Trump’s May 30 announcement, experts say the levies will raise cost of manufacturing on a wide range of products, making many items more expensive to buy. That’s because businesses typically pass on most or all of tariff-related costs to consumers through higher prices, according to economists. 

“That will hurt the people working in those industries and put their jobs under stress,” said Wayne Winegarden, a senior fellow and director at the Pacific Research Institute, a right-leaning think tank. “And it also is going to put pressure on consumers, because those prices are going to increase.”

While some businesses may ultimately choose to absorb some of those increased costs, experts say others are likely to pass some of them along to customers — as was the case in 2018 when tariffs on steel and aluminum tariffs were introduced by the first Trump administration . 

Here are some of the consumer products that may get pricier with the new 50% steel and aluminum tariffs now in effect.

Cars

Automobile manufacturers are likely to feel the burn of higher tariffs, as they rely heavily on steel and aluminum for car production. The materials are found throughout the body and structure of a car, in everything from the car’s frame to engine parts to the hub caps, pipes and bumpers. According to Jay Cushing, senior bond analyst with Gimme Credit, steel accounts for 60% of the weight of the average vehicle.

Dean Baker, senior economist at The Center For Economic and Policy Research, told CBS MoneyWatch there is about $800 worth of steel in each vehicle. With that figure in mind, he projected a 50% tariff would drive up the cost of a car by around $400.

Cushing, however, projects an even steeper price hike. “A doubling of tariffs from 25% to 50% could raise the cost of a car from $1,500 to $3,000 per vehicle,” he told CBS MoneyWatch in an email.

A 25% tariff on imported cars remains in place, although the Trump administration has softened industry tariffs to ensure automakers aren’t hit twice with the additional import duty on imported steel and aluminum. “The metal tariffs should apply only once per vehicle,” Cushing said.

Sports equipment

Athletes may also notice a slight uptick in prices when shopping for new equipment such as baseball bats, tennis rackets and lacrosse sticks which sometimes contain aluminum. Industry experts say they’re already seeing price increases on aluminum bats, which are fairly expensive to begin with: upwards of $100 in many cases, with higher-end models running as high as $400.

Those higher price tags could end up creating negative repercussions for sports participation. The Sports & Fitness Industry Association, which tracks industry data, has consistently found that the lowest household income brackets are most negatively impacted in terms of sports participation.

“If we’re going to continue to increase costs on equipment, then those lower income level households are going to continue to be left on the sideline in terms of literally and figuratively,” said Todd Smith, president and CEO of the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.

Beer and soda cans

Whether it be beer, soda or seltzer, any beverages that come in a can will likely cost Americans more after the steel and aluminum tariffs take effect. 

This could lead major name-brand businesses to shift their strategy. Back in February, the CEO of Coca-Cola James Quincey said if aluminum cans become more expensive, the company would put more emphasis on plastic bottles. The soda giant sources aluminum for its cans from Canada, Quincey said on a February company earnings call.

Canned goods and packaged grocery items

Another place where Americans might feel a slight pinch is at the grocery store. Nonperishables that come in aluminum or steel cans — think beans, chickpeas, and soups — are typically thought of as a way for shoppers to economize. But the steel and aluminum tariffs could ratchet up the price of canned goods.

Robert Budway, president of the Can Manufacturers Institute, told the Associated Press that manufacturers have become increasingly reliant on imported materials in recent years and that it’s American families who will most likely bear the increased tariff costs. 

Baker, the economist from The Center For Economic and Policy Research, didn’t have an exact estimate but said the increase to the cost of canned goods would be fairly low. “If you get $2 can of soup, maybe it would go up a cent or two,” he said.

There could be indirect price increases at the grocery store as well. Many packaged goods are made using machines with steel and aluminum machines, Baker said, meaning products like cookies could get more expensive.

Household appliances/supplies

A wide range of appliances from dishwashers and dryers to garbage disposals and air conditioners all stand to become pricier as a result of the Trump administration’s 50% steel and aluminum tariffs. 

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers did not respond to CBS MoneyWatch’s request for comment, but has said in the past that they strongly support an “integrated North American market” and have called for “common-sense” trade policies.

“It can go from the grandiose of a washing machine and a car, to the trivial, like a staple or a paper clip,” said Winegarden at the Pacific Research Institute.

Lawn mowers could also see price hikes. Baker estimates that a lawn mower that goes for $250mightcost $255 after the tariffs take effect .

“Will people notice that? Some will, some won’t,” he said. “But there’s no doubt the direction is higher — the question is how much.”

Homes

Building materials could also be impacted, which will ultimately translate to higher home prices.

In an April blog post, Realtor.com documented how the price of nails used in homebuilding has already started to increased due to tariffs. A single box of coil roofing nails could go from $65 to $325, the real estate platform predicted at the time. 

Other products used in home construction like steel fasteners could also get caught in the crosshairs of the tariffs. This bodes poorly for the housing sector — which is already facing pressure from high prices, steep mortgage rates and lack of inventory. 

“President Trump’s move to double steel and aluminum tariffs will have a negative impact on housing affordability by further disrupting building material supply chains and fueling business uncertainty,” said Buddy Hughes, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders.

Before the new 50% tariffs were introduced, the trade association estimated that tariff activity would add roughly $10,900 to the average cost of a new home.

Mary Cunningham

Mary Cunningham is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch. Before joining the business and finance vertical, she worked at “60 Minutes,” CBSNews.com and CBS News 24/7 as part of the CBS News Associate Program.

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What is the Air Quality Index, the tool used to tell just how bad your city’s air is?

Smoke from wildfires in Canada has drifted into the U.S., prompting air quality alerts for Americans as it continues to spread. 

But when officials and forecasters classify a city’s air as “unhealthy” or “hazardous,” what does that really mean? The classifications are based on a federal measurement system called the Air Quality Index. 

What is the Air Quality Index? 

The Air Quality Index is used nationwide to measure the severity of air pollution and categorize the health risks that are involved with various levels of pollution. The index uses six color-coded categories: good (green), moderate (yellow), unhealthy for sensitive groups (orange), unhealthy (red), very unhealthy (purple) and hazardous (maroon). 

The Air Quality Index displayed on AirNow.gov shows the levels of classification for air pollution. 

AirNow.gov


The health impacts included in the index are those that people are likely to experience within “a few hours or days” after being exposed to the air, the National Weather Service Says. 

How is air quality measured? 

The National Weather Service says that the Environmental Protection Agency calculates the Air Quality Index — a value between 0 and 500 — based on five “major pollutants.” 

Those pollutants — ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide — are all regulated by the Clean Air Act. Of those, ground-level ozone and airborne particles are considered “the greatest threat to human health.” 

What do the numbers mean? 

Each Air Quality Index category, also known as the level of concern, is attached to a certain range of values: 

  • Good (green): 0 to 50
  • Moderate (yellow): 51 to 100
  • Unhealthy for sensitive groups (orange): 101 to 150
  • Unhealthy (red): 151 to 200 
  • Very unhealthy (purple): 201 to 300 
  • Hazardous (marron): 301 and higher

Essentially, the lower the number, the cleaner the air. The only category where air quality is considered “satisfactory” is the one where the index value is no more than 50, although values between 51 and 100 are still considered “acceptable.” After that, the air could pose a risk to at least some people, and that risk only becomes greater as the index value rises. 

Once the air is deemed “very unhealthy,” the general public is at risk of experiencing health impacts, which range from a headache and fatigue to much more serious issues such as heart attack or stroke. At “hazardous” levels, the region is experiencing an air quality emergency. Those with chronic respiratory or cardiovascular conditions are more at risk of developing serious health issues as pollution worsens. 

What is the air quality near me? 

Air Quality Index values change constantly throughout the day as weather conditions and weather patterns move through the area. The map below automatically updates to show air quality conditions nationwide.

The EPA’s AirNow.gov site uses the index to provide the latest status for your area. To use the site, enter your ZIP code and a meter will pop up showing you what the value and color category is for your city, as well as the last time that measurement was updated. 

AirNow.gov shows you what the Air Quality Index reading is for your city.

AirNow.gov


It also tells you what pollutant is causing issues, who is most at risk for health complications and what activities may be safe to do. 

In Minneapolis, for example, the reading on Tuesday morning, June 3, said the AQI for PM2.5, a kind of particulate matter, is 203, meaning “very unhealthy,” and that people who have heart or lung disease, those who are elderly, and children and teens should avoid outdoor physical activity. In these conditions, everyone else should avoid “strenuous” and long outdoor activities. 

Li Cohen

Li Cohen is a senior social media producer at CBS News. She previously wrote for amNewYork and The Seminole Tribune. She mainly covers climate, environmental and weather news.

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Maps show U.S. air quality and Canada wildfire smoke forecast

Tips to stay protected from harmful air quality



Tips to stay protected from harmful air quality

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Smoke spreading from wildfires in Canada was affecting air quality in multiple states on Tuesday.

Parts of Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin were most at risk for unhealthy air, according to a federal measurement system called the Air Quality Index.

The index has six ratings: good, moderate, unhealthy for sensitives groups, unhealthy, very unhealthy and hazardous. Sensitive groups include those who have a heart or lung disease, as well as older adults, children and pregnant women.

The map below shows the current air quality across the U.S.

Other states, including Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, may see smoke from the fires, although the thickness will vary. 

In the Philadelphia region, for example, while smoke is expected to be visible, no major impacts on air quality are expected, CBS Philadelphia reported.

Here’s a look at where the smoke is expected to move on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Canadian wildfire smoke forecast for Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET.

CBS News


The Canadian wildfire smoke forecast for Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at 8 a.m. ET.

CBS News


The Canadian wildfire smoke forecast for Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET.

CBS News


Around 200 active fires are burning in Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. More than 25,000 residents across three provinces had been evacuated due to the blazes as of Sunday, The Associated Press reported.

Nicole Brown Chau

Nicole Brown Chau is a deputy managing editor for CBSNews.com. She writes and edits national news, health stories, explainers and more.

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Director Yells ‘Free Palestine’ at Canadian Screen Awards on Same Day Boulder Illegal Alien Terror Suspect Screams Chant

A documentary film director and indigenous activist blurted out “Free Palestine” Sunday during Canada’s Screen Awards, held on the very same day that an Egyptian terrorist tried to murder Jewish Americans at a rally in Boulder, Colorado.

Molly Wickham mounted the stage along with the other directors and producers of the documentary Yintah, and pumped her fist yelling “Free Palestine” from the stage. At the same time, Egyptian national Mohamed Sabry Soliman, who entered the U.S. illegally during the Biden regime, was yelling the same words as he doused Jewish Americans with a flammable liquid and used a flamethrower-styled device to light them on fire.

Wickham’s film, which won best documentary, documents the fight by indigenous people to stop fossil-fuel companies from encroaching on their lands, and during her speech, Wickham said “The fight continues, and we will never give up.”

“Our sovereignty is tied to our collective freedom. Land back. Free Palestine,” Wickham added as she militantly pumped her fist.

Several other extreme, left-wing film projects also won recognition at the Canadian awards show. The movie attacking Donald Trump and starring Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice, won best movie, the best movie director prize went to Andrew Rankin for Universal Language, and the best reality series award went to the transgender-pushing show Canada’s Drag Race.

The phrase “Free Palestine” was also yelled by the murderer of two Jewish Americans outside the Israeli embassy in Washington D.C. in May.

Sarah Lynn Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky were allegedly murdered by Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago. Rodriquez was reportedly heard yelling “Free Palestine” as he gunned the couple down in May.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the use of this phrase in May, calling it today’s version of “Heil Hitler.”

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, X at WTHuston, or Truth Social at @WarnerToddHuston.



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Canada calls for international help to battle massive wildfires



Canada calls for international help to battle massive wildfires – CBS News










































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Canada is putting out an international call for help to battle 180 wildfires raging across the country, 90 of which are burning out of control. 25,000 people in three provinces have been forced to evacuate. Josh Crabb of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has the latest.

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West bakes under blistering heat, Midwest contends with wildfire smoke



West bakes under blistering heat, Midwest contends with wildfire smoke – CBS News










































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Scorching temperatures were forecast across the West this weekend, while about 22 million Americans in the Midwest were under air quality alerts because of the hovering smoke from the more than 180 wildfires burning in Canada. Elise Preston has the latest.

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Canadian wildfires force tens of thousands to evacuate

Roughly 17,000 residents in the Canadian province of Manitoba have been evacuated because of nearly two dozen active wildfires, officials said Saturday.

More than 5,000 of those are from Flin Flon, where there is no rain in the immediate forecast. There have been no structure fires in the city located nearly 400 miles northwest of the provincial capital of Winnipeg as of Saturday morning, but officials worry that a change in wind direction could bring the fire into town.

Manitoba declared a state of emergency on Wednesday as the fires burning from the northwest to the southeast forced evacuations in several communities in the province directly north of the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota. Smoke from the fires is being pushed south into some parts of the U.S., worsening air quality.

Thousands have also been affected by wildfires in Saskatchewan and Alberta, with 1,300 people in the community of Swan Hills northwest of Edmonton forced from their homes.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe told a news conference Saturday that ongoing hot, dry weather is allowing some fires to grow and threaten communities, and that the current figure of 8,000 fire evacuees could climb to 10,000.

Resources to fight the fires and support the evacuees are stretched thin, Moe said.

“The next four to seven days are absolutely critical until we can find our way to changing weather patterns, and ultimately a soaking rain throughout the north,” Moe said.

As of Saturday evening, 188 active fires were burning across Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Of those, 100 were considering to be burning “out of control.”

Smoke from the wildfires was expected to drift down into the U.S., with air quality alerts issued for portions of the Upper Midwest.

“Smoke from Canadian wildfires continue to spread across the skies across much of the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes,” the National Weather Service wrote. “…The smoke will also create air quality issues at times, mainly for sensitive groups.”

Wildfire smoke above Highway 97, north of the Buckinghorse River near Trutch, British Columbia, Canada, on May 30, 2025. 

Nasuna Stuart-Ulin/Bloomberg via Getty Images


Canada’s wildfire season runs from May through September. Its worst-ever wildfire season was in 2023. It choked much of North America with dangerous smoke for months.  

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service said Saturday it has deployed an air tanker to Alberta, and the U.S. is sending 150 firefighters and equipment like sprinkler kits, pumps and hoses to Canada.

“We are here to help our neighbors during their time of need, and our Forest Service Wildland Firefighters are the best in the business. I am thankful for the men and women who are bravely stepping up to serve,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins said in a statement.

In northern Manitoba, fire knocked out power to the community of Cranberry Portage, forcing a mandatory evacuation order Saturday for about 600 residents. People living in smaller nearby communities were told to prepare to evacuate after a fire jumped a highway.

“Please start getting ready and making plans to stay with family and friends as accommodations are extremely limited,” Lori Forbes, the emergency coordinator for the Rural Municipality of Kelsey, posted on social media.

Evacuation centers have opened across the province for those fleeing the fires, including one as far south as Winkler, Manitoba, 12 miles from the U.S. border.

Evacuations that started earlier in the week for Pimicikamak Cree Nation ramped up Saturday, when five flights were expected to take residents to Winnipeg. “The wildfire has crossed the main road, and the area remains filled with smoke and ash,” Chief David Monias wrote on social media.

Winnipeg has opened up public buildings for evacuees as it deals with hotels already crammed with other fire refugees, vacationers, business people and convention-goers.

Manitoba’s Indigenous leaders, including Monias, told a news conference on Saturday that hotel rooms in the cities where evacuees are arriving are full, and they called on the government to direct hotel owners to give evacuees priority.

Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Kyra Wilson said it was one of the largest evacuations in the province since the 1990s.

“It’s really sad to see our children having to sleep on floors. People are sitting, waiting in hallways, waiting outside, and right now we just need people to come together. People are tired,” Wilson said at the news conference.

“We need to make sure that we have space for our people.”

The fire menacing Flin Flon began Monday near Creighton, Saskatchewan, and quickly jumped the boundary into Manitoba. Crews have struggled to contain it. Water bombers have been intermittently grounded due to heavy smoke and a drone incursion.

The 1,200 or so residents of Creighton have also been ordered out, many of whom have gone to nearby Nipawin, Saskatchewan. In total, more than 8,000 people have fled wildfires in Saskatchewan.

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