THUNDER BAY – Heading into the weekend, the forest fire danger is high to extreme in many parts of Northwestern Ontario.
There was one new fire reported in the Northwest by the late afternoon of June 7 and an additional fire from the previous evening of June 6
- Red Lake 18 was discovered near the western shore of McInnes Lake, approximately 117 kilometres north of Red Lake. At 0.1 hectares the fire is out.
- Nipigon 4 was discovered near Marie Lake north of Geraldton. The 0.2 hectare fire is out
At the time of this update there were three active fires in the Northwest Region, all of which are not under control.
Sioux Lookout 8 near Pickle Lake
On Sioux Lookout 8 near Pickle Lake, five initial attack crews and two sustained action crews from Mishkeegogamang were assisted by waterbombers throughout the day. Values protection (setting up sprinklers on buildings and infrastructure) is ongoing with the assistance of the municipal fire service in Pickle Lake. Originating one kilometre northeast of the community of Pickle Lake, the fire moved in a southeast direction from the community on June 6, crossing Hwy 599. The fire is 781.2 hectares in size.
Red Lake 14 near Pikangikum
At Red Lake 14 near Pikangikum, 25 crews assigned to the fire worked to identify and extinguish hotspots near the fire’s perimeter yesterday as well as tested and adjusted values protection equipment set up in the community. The Pikangikum area is expected to see some precipitation, Saturday.
Fire hazard extreme in parts of region
The forest fire hazard in the Northwest Region is high to extreme through most sectors today with some moderate hazard conditions in the southern portion of the Thunder Bay sector.
AFFES staff deployed out of province
Approximately 230 staff members from Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services are assisting the province of Alberta with its escalated fire situation. This includes FireRangers, support staff and one incident management team. In addition, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is providing equipment such as pumps, hose and hand tools to support Alberta.
More than 50 staff members from Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services have been deployed to assist the Yukon with current active forest fires. This includes FireRangers and support staff.
There are also an additional 2 support staff members from Ontario who have been deployed out of province, one to assist the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre in Winnipeg, and one to the Northwest Territories.
The sharing of resources across Canada is facilitated by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre in Winnipeg under the Mutual Aid Resource Sharing agreement.
The fire situation in Ontario has been relatively quiet since the beginning of the 2019 fire season, and we remain fully prepared to respond to any forest fires that may arise here at home.
Help prevent forest fires
Adopt safe campfire practices! Choose the site of your campfire carefully and keep your fire small. Stay nearby: never leave it unattended. Put your fire out by drowning it with water. Be sure that it is extinguished prior to leaving the site. Stir the ashes with a stick to uncover hot coals and then drown it again. You can never be too safe.
Consider alternatives to burning brush or yard waste, such as chipping or composting when possible, or saving burn piles for the fall or after the fire season. Use of outdoor fires must follow the outdoor burning rules set out in the Forest Fire Prevention Act of Ontario. Fires are to be started no sooner than two hours before sunset and extinguished no later than two hours after sunrise. Fires should never be left unattended and tools and water should be close at hand to put the fire out. More details on outdoor burning regulations can be found online at Ontario.ca/forestfire
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