Around 500 residents of the northern community of Cranberry Portage were evacuated over the weekend as a large wildfire approaches that community.

The province says the fire - one of two burning currently in the Flin Flon/The Pas area - is about 35-thousand hectares in size and is 38 km long and 12 km wide. 

It has also led to the closure of Highway 10 just south of Cranberry Portage and at Baker's Narrows, as the fire was last reported to be about 1 km away from Cranberry Portage.

Evacuation centres have been set up in both The Pas and Flin Flon. 

Meanwhile, a fire near Wellness is now 1,500 hectares in size.  

Air tankers from Manitoba are being joined by ones from Saskatchewan to battle the blazes, while additional crews from Ontario are expected to arrive in a day or two.

Smoke from these fires, as well as massive fires in B-C and Northern Alberta has been pouring into our region throughout the weekend.