Manitoba has extended its provincewide state of emergency until Aug. 22 as wildfires continue to burn across the province.

The state of emergency, declared under the Emergency Measures Act, was reinstated on July 10 for a 30-day period. It had previously been in place from May 28 to June 23 before being lifted when fire activity subsided.

Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure’s Emergency Management Organization said Thursday that the extension is necessary due to the ongoing wildfire situation.

Around 165 fires are currently burning in the province and over 12,000 people have been displaced.

Much of Manitoba remains under an air quality warning on Thursday as smoke blankets the province, and several communities are still under evacuation orders.

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