THUNDER BAY – ENVIRONMENT – There have been two new fires reported in the Northwest Region since the evening of July 4. One was a human-caused fire at the south end of Quetico Park in the Fort Frances District and one in the Sandy Lake First Nation community in the Red Lake District.
Fort Frances District Fire Number 08 is being monitored. This 1.0 hectare fire is burning on an island at the south end of Quetico Provincial Park.
Fort Frances Fire 8 is a 1.0 hectare fire on Roland Lake within Quetico Provincial Park. It will be monitored and poses no threat to people or property within the park.
Red Lake District Fire Number 15 is under control at 1.5 hectares in size. No problems are expected with this fire.
Sunny breaks followed by rain and thunderstorms continue to be the pattern for the Northwest Region and this is forecast to continue for the remainder of the week. This ongoing rain has provided relief in forest fire hazards but is keeping the risk of flooding high in the Kenora, Fort Frances and Dryden areas which have been dealing with high water and flooding concerns for weeks now.
The far northern sectors of the region have seen less rain and the fire situation reflects this with four lightning-caused fires in the Red Lake District and one in the Sioux Lookout District. Most of these fires are being observed through aerial reconnaissance as they burn to natural boundaries. One fire which started over the weekend in the Sandy Lake First Nation community was fought and is listed as under control at 1.5 hectares in size.
There is also one fire being monitored in Quetico Provincial Park at this time. It started from a campfire left unattended on an island in the south end of the park. It is not expected to pose any problems.
