THUNDER BAY – The wild fire hazard is increasing, heading into the Canada Day and 4th of July holiday season. Extra care will be needed in the woodlands.
At the time of this report, six new fires have been confirmed in the Northwest Region. These fires are located in the far north of the Nipigon and Sioux Lookout Districts. They range in size from 0.1 hectares to 60 hectares.
More fire reports were being investigated at the time of this update. Crews have made great progress on all recent fires in the region and resources are being mobilized to priority areas.
There were 19 new fires in the Northwest Region on June 27: eight in the Sioux Lookout District; four in the Thunder Bay District; three in the Kenora District; one in the Nipigon District and three in the Red Lake District.
Reconnaissance flights are planned across the Northwest Region to observe fires in the north. These flights will report on the condition of monitored fires and determine if any values are threatened in the vicinity of these fires.
One fire of note is Red Lake District Fire Number 025 burning at the north end of Wrist Lake in Woodland Caribou Park. It is a lightning-caused fire that is being observed and last reported at 130 hectares in size. Visitors and canoeists planning to travel in the park should check with park officials about fire locations to ensure safe travel. An active fires map is available online at ontario.ca/forestfire.
The forest fire hazard is low in the south and moderate in the north.
Out of Province
Ontario is supporting firefighting efforts in the Northwest Territories. Currently there are 44 personnel in the Northwest Territories along with aircraft. Personnel are scheduled to return from Alberta today.
The Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services program is reminding people that they are responsible for safe outdoor fire management and must follow guidelines set out in the Forest Fires Prevention Act of Ontario including no day burning of brush or grass fires. Campfires are to be tended at all times and put out before leaving.
For further tips on how to be FireSmart, visit ontario.ca/firesmart.
For more information about the current fire situation and the active fires map, ontario.ca/forestfire.
The Northwest Region Fire Information Hotline is available for general information updates – 1-888-258-8842. Report forest fires by calling 310-FIRE (3473).
