THUNDER BAY – The Northwest Region saw three new lightning fires, all in the Sioux Lookout District, by early evening of July 26.
- Sioux Lookout Fire 85 is a two-hectare fire discovered in Wabakimi Provincial Park, approximately 77 km Southeast of Pickle Lake. The fire is not under control.
- Sioux Lookout Fire 84 was discovered at 0.2 hectares and is currently not under control approximately 24 km southeast of Slate Falls. This fire is not under control.
- Sioux Lookout Fire 83 was discovered at 0.1 hectares approximately 82 km northeast of Sioux Lookout has been declared out following a full response from ministry fire crews today.
At the time of this post, there are 71 active fires in the region, 53 of which are under observation, three being held, five under control and nine are not under control.
Rainfall across the region has cooled fire behavior somewhat and resulted in a low fire hazard across most districts with the exception of a moderate hazard in the Thunder Bay, Quetico, and Lake Nipigon areas. A slowly departing upper-low will bring continued cloudiness and the chance of scattered showers or thunderstorms for eastern portions of the region. A gradual clearing is expected from the west through the day. We can expect high temperatures ranging from the mid-teens to the low 20s.
Kenora Fires 71 & 77 update
The Emergency Area Order around Kenora Fire 71 remains in effect from 12:00 hrs CST July 19 until further notice.
The fire sizes remain at:
- 10,887 hectares for Kenora 71 and
- 321 hectares for Kenora 77
There have been no changes to the fire perimeters.
- Currently, there are five crews on Kenora 77 and 39 crews on KEN 71
o Kenora Type 1 – 9 crews – 35 firefighters
o Kenora Type 2 – 4 crews from Grassy Narrows – 16 firefighters
o Saskatchewan Type 1 – 5 crews – 20 firefighters
o Saskatchewan Type 2 – 5 crews – 20 firefighters
o Alberta Type 1 – 4 crews – 17 firefighters
o NWT Type 1 – 5 crews – 20 firefighters
o Wisconsin Type 1 – 2 crews – 8 firefighters
o Minnesota Type 1 – 8 crews – 33 firefighters
Ontario Parks restricts access in Woodland Caribou Provincial Park
Several large fires in Woodland Caribou Park have necessitated some restrictions for backcountry travelers. Ontario Parks is restricting access to some canoe routes as well as access to a number of lakes. You can find more details here.
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 Tony Crispino