Students heartbroken as wildfires force cancellation of beloved traditions: 'Our top priority is the safety and well-being of students and staff'

Students in Northern Manitoba, Canada, had their school year end early because of wildfires.

What's happening?

Flin Flon, a city on the Saskatchewan border, was evacuated on May 28, and the community's school division later said it would not reopen before summer, the Winnipeg Sun reported. Hundreds of students from Hapnot Collegiate Institute, École McIsaac School, Ruth Betts Community School, and Many Faces Education Centre were impacted.

Families scattered to hotel rooms and evacuation centers around the country, and graduation ceremonies as well as a jazz night were canceled. Lifelong memories went the way of the wildfire smoke, disappearing before they could form anything concrete.

The Winnipeg School Division offered seniors the chance to walk across the stage at the Duckworth Centre "to be part of something joyful, to be seen, to be celebrated," Assistant Superintendent of Indigenous Education Rob Riel told the Sun.

"Our top priority is the safety and well-being of students and staff," a Frontier School Division spokesperson said. "With so many families displaced and uncertainty about returning home, it just wasn't feasible to continue a normal school year."

Why is this important?

On Wednesday, the evacuation order was lifted after four weeks, and residents lined up to return to their homes, CBC News reported. Firefighters, favorable weather, and precipitation have slowed fires in the region, allowing 4,800 people to return to the remote city. Many made the 815-kilometer (506-mile) drive from Winnipeg.

The nearest blaze had consumed 370,000 hectares (over 914,000 acres) and remained out of control, though officials did not expect to order another evacuation, per the outlet. Homes, businesses, and other structures remained intact, though nearby communities were not so lucky.

Grocery stores and other retailers were expected to take the weekend to get back to normal operations, so residents were encouraged to bring supplies with them. A donation depot was set up to distribute necessities from the Whitney Forum skating rink.

Five of 18 fires were uncontained, and Lynn Lake was under an air quality warning.

What's being done about wildfires?

The rapidly warming climate is causing wildfires — as well as droughts, floods, and other extreme weather events — to become more frequent and extreme. Wildfires kill people, destroy property, wreck ecosystems, and more.

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