Hundreds of people forced out of their northern Manitoba communities by forest fires are staying in Winnipeg and Brandon.

The Manitoba Association of Native Firefighters asked the city of Brandon to act as an evacuation centre for residents from areas affected by fires in Manitoba, as well as smoke drifting in from fires in neighbouring provinces.

On Sunday evening and Monday morning several planes arrived in Brandon, carrying a total of 214 evacuees from the Garden Hill and Island Lake First Nations areas. The evacuation had focused on high risk people, including pregnant women, children, the elderly and those with health conditions.

Teams from the city, the Canadian Red Cross, Brandon’s RHA’s Public Health division, St. John’s ambulance and the Salvation Army helped feed and register the evacuees after they were brought in to two local hotels.

At least another 200 people are also scheduled to arrive Monday.

Meanwhile, more than 500 evacuees are in Winnipeg hotels.

Among those is Allan Harper and his wife, who are from Red Sucker Lake. They were airlifted out for medical reasons — his wife has respiratory problems.

Harper said they are now trying to connect with the rest of their family at other hotels.

"One of my grandkids is downtown some place but we are having a hard time getting around," he said, adding the situation has left him "very frustrated."