THUNDER BAY – WILDFIRE – The dry hot weather continues to impact the woodlands. Although the Northwest Region is not as dry or experiencing the same volume of fire activity as the Northeast Region, it is very critical to remember that caring for your campfire is vital.
Recent lightning activity gave rise to four new forest fires, all in the Sioux Lookout District of the Northwest Region by the afternoon of July 10.
- Sioux Lookout Fire 58 is part of a cluster of small lightning fires south of Windigo Lake. The fire is under observation at three hectares in size.
- Sioux Lookout Fire 59 was started by lightning on an island on Miniss Lake, within the boundaries of St. Raphael Provincial Park. At the time of this update, the fire was not under control.
- Sioux Lookout Fire 60 is located near the Flindt River just west of the Wabakimi Provincial Park boundary. At 0.3 hectares it is currently not under control.
- Sioux Lookout Fire 61 is located 8.5 kilometres south of the remote First Nation Community of Wunnummin Lake. An air tanker and helicopter will be used to help a FireRanger crew on the ground try to limit the one-hectare fire’s spread. At the time of this update, the fire was not under control.
The fire hazard is predominantly high in the Northwest. Moderate hazard conditions prevail in the Thunder Bay and North Shore regions with a small pocket of low hazard around Quetico Park.
Two fires of note are Nipigon Fires 29 and 30 located in the far north near Nibinamik, also known as Summer Beaver. In just two days Nipigon Fire 30 has expanded to 6,600 hectares while its smaller counterpart Nipigon 29 has grown to 400 hectares. These fires are burning away from the community and an incident commander has been assigned to help the community manage the fire and form a plan for suppression.
Currently, there are 53 active fires in the Northwest Region, 43 of which are either under observation, being held or under control.
AFFES personnel from the Northwest, including 30 (four-person) FireRanger crews, 28 overhead staff, one logistics team, nine CL-415 waterbombers and two heavy helicopters have joined a large inter-provincial contingent of staff, aircraft, and equipment helping the Northeast Region cope with a challenging forest fire situation.
To see a complete list of fires across the province click on our interactive map. You can also get the latest update on the condition of any fire by clicking the fire icon.
Fire numbers and online information:
- Forest Fire Reporting Number – 310-FIRE (3473)
- Twitter account
Report prepared by Chris Marchand
