Danielle McMaster was patrolling the remote Canadian community of York Landing when something caught her eye.

Key points: A group of volunteers saw two men they believe were Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky

A group of volunteers saw two men they believe were Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky The pair are wanted over the murders of three people, including an Australian

The pair are wanted over the murders of three people, including an Australian Canadian police are now searching the forest around the remote community of York Landing

The volunteer for the neighbourhood watch group, the Bear Clan Patrol, saw two men retreating into the bushes.

She is convinced she spotted Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky, the teen fugitives suspected in the brutal Canadian highway slayings of three people, including Australian Lucas Fowler.

"We were on the hill. We [had] seen two individuals that almost matched the descriptions from the back," Ms McMaster said.

"We didn't see their faces at all … they went into the bush."

The teenagers are the subject of a massive manhunt which has seen police officers chase sightings of the suspects from British Columbia in Canada's east to the isolated western province of Manitoba.

Bryer Schmegelsky and Kam McLeod are suspects in three murders. ( Supplied: RCMP Manitoba )

Even by the standards of the region, York Landing is incredibly remote — a two-hour ferry ride or a charter flight are the only options for getting into town.

Only 500 people live here, and it is surrounded by forest and water.

Drones, dogs and patrol planes scour forest

Canadian police have been unable to verify the sighting of the fugitives, but this indigenous community is now on edge.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 1 minute 32 seconds 1 m 32 s Bear Clan members called the RCMP after spotting two males scavenging for food in rural northern Manitoba.

Curfews have been imposed and the streets are filled with police.

Police are continuing to search here and in Gillam where they have been headquartered.

It is a huge adjustment for a community which mostly relies on the volunteer Bear Clan Patrol for protection, rather than law enforcement.

York Landing resident Jason Beardy is not convinced the fugitives could have lasted in the wildness for this long. ( ABC News: Niall Lenihan )

York Landing resident Jason Beardy was unable to go to work because of the police curfew.

"This is not an everyday thing here. I said no way that can be happening here," Mr Beardy said.

He is sceptical about whether McLeod and Schmegelsky could have survived out in the Manitoba wilderness and gone largely undetected for so long.

"I would have heard something or seen something already. There's been lots of the SWAT guys up there all morning," he said.

The Canadian Air Force has joined the search for the fugitives in Manitoba. ( ABC News: Niall Lenihan )

The Canadian Air Force has sent patrol planes equipped with imaging radar and infrared cameras to scan the forest.

Drones and helicopters are also searching from the skies, while sniffer dogs and SWAT teams are scouring the areas.

York Landing residents lock their doors

Laurie Garson is finding the constant police presence and curfew unnerving.

The streets of York Landing are empty after police imposed a curfew and residents shelter indoors. ( ABC News: Niall Lenihan )

"[I'm] pretty nervous actually and uncomfortable because there's so many navy people here and RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police]," she said.

It's been a tough time for her and her group of friends who have small gaps in the curfew to get fresh air.

"We're mostly just inside because everyone's on lockdown. Everyone has to go back to their homes," she said.

Extra Canadian mounted police have arrived in York Landing to search for the fugitives. ( ABC News: Niall Lenihan )

After a visit to York Landing, you can understand the apprehension.

Almost everybody knows each other, and usually the cottages in town have little need for security.

The thin walls and isolation make it a tough place to have to live with murder suspects on the loose.

It has been the same story in rural communities across Canada as the teenagers continue to avoid police two weeks on from their alleged rampage.

The toughest toll though is on grieving families in Canada, the USA and Australia who are still waiting for answers on a shocking, life-altering crime.