THUNDER BAY – There were no new fires in the Northwest region by the early evening of June 10, 2019
There were four active fires in the Northwest Region at the time of this report. Two of the fires were not under control, and two were being held.
Sioux Lookout 8 near Pickle Lake
Sioux Lookout 8 near Pickle Lake (833 hectares) continues to exhibit minimal fire activity after receiving a significant amount of precipitation over the past few days. A total of 17 crews are assigned to the fire, command over which has transitioned to an Incident Management Team. Heavy equipment continues to construct a fire guard in critical areas and values protection (sprinkler) systems have been installed on buildings and infrastructure as a precaution. Tomorrow, dryer conditions are expected to return but further precipitation later in the day is also expected.
Red Lake 14 near Pikangikum
Red Lake 14 near Pikangikum has received significant rainfall over the past few days. The fire is now being held at 3835 hectares. There are 20 crews assigned to this fire with additional support staff. Crews continue to identify and extinguish hot spots and continue to remove values protection (sprinkler) equipment from buildings and infrastructure.
Red Lake 17
Eight crews and an incident management team are assigned to this fire located northwest of Trout Lake in the Red Lake sector, with six more fire crews expected to arrive later today. The fire is currently sized at 6803 hectares and is not under control. Rain in the area has helped the fire suppression effort and values protection equipment has been set up in various locations as a precaution. Fire crews continue to patrol established hose line, extinguish hotspots and continue to establish new hose lines.
Fire hazard for the Northwest Region
The forest fire hazard is currently low to moderate in the Northeast Region, with the exception of Greenstone sector which presents a high hazard in some areas.
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 Isabelle Chenard
