In the United States, a large fire near the north-eastern Minnesota-Ontario border continues to be a concern. Smoke from the fire may once again drift into Ontario over the weekend as skies clear and the wind switches to the south. Ontario has dispatched two personnel to Minnesota to serve as liaisons and assist with the fire and has also been providing Quickstrike air tanker support.
Earlier in the week, smoke from that fire over Thunder Bay was causing concerns as well as irritating many people’s eyes and throats.
Good progress is being made on all active fires in the region.
Smoky conditions have eased from a forest fire burning in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area south of Quetico Park, but Ontario is in close contact with Minnesota on this fire which is large and grew considerably in size earlier in the week.
Cool weather and precipitation have helped put a damper on fire activity for the last several days. Clear skies and warmer temperatures are forecast for Friday September 16 and Saturday September 17, which could lead to a slight increase in fire behaviour. No control issues are expected.