THUNDER BAY – The forest fire situation in Northwestern Ontario continues to be causing concerns. The Ministry of Natural Resources reports, “There were two new fires in the Northwest Region by early evening. Rain effects in the south and higher humidity in the north kept things calmer than they have been for several days. More clouds, showers and a risk of thunder storms is forecast for most of the region on August 1. Depending on the rainfall amounts this is expected to drop the fire hazard to low in the north. This trend is expected to continue for the next couple of days and should help to moderate the fire hazard all across the region”.
The showers and rain are hopeful signs, and have reportedly reduced the impact of smoke from fires in Manitoba. However MNR reports, “Despite this positive forecast, there are still 65 active fires and over 80,000 hectares of area burned in those fires. The north has the majority of the fires with 30 in the Red Lake District, 19 in the Sioux Lookout District and eight in the Nipigon District. Despite the low fire hazard in the south, Fort Frances District is managing six active fires, Thunder Bay District one and Kenora District one with some new ones reported there as well”.
The total in the Northwest Region for this year is 489 fires and 82,066.0 hectares burned.