THUNDER BAY – There were three new forest fires confirmed by the afternoon of July 02.
- Dryden Fire Number 12 has been declared out at 0.1 hectares and was located near Lower Stewart Lake.
- Sioux Lookout Fire Number 13 is being observed at 40 hectares and is located near Wigwascence Lake, approximately 60 kilometres south of the community of Wunnumin Lake.
- Sioux Lookout Fire Number 14 is not under control at 50 hectares and is located near Long Dog Lake, approximately 8 kilometres east of the community of Wawakapewin.
There are currently 19 active fires in the region. Six are not under control, six fires are under control, and seven fires are being observed.
Fires of Note
Red Lake Fire Number 23 is approximately 16 kilometers southwest of the community of Keewaywin. This fire is currently 37,390 hectares in size. An incident management team and crews are being deployed to this fire. The fire received some rain today, but it was not a substantial amount.
Red Lake Fire Number 38 is not under control at 1100 hectares and is located approximately 10 kilometres southwest of Pikangikum First Nation. This fire received rain today which has reduced its fire behaviour.
Red Lake Fire Number 39 is not under control at 10,000 hectares and is located near the Cairns River, approximately 25 kilometres southwest of Pikangikum. Sprinklers are being set-up on structures in the area of the fire.
Red Lake Fire Number 40 is not under control at 2832 hectares and is located near Nungesser Lake, approximately 40 kilometres north of Red Lake. Air attack from water bombers and sprinkler set-ups on structures continues on this fire. An incident management team is being assigned to direct operations on this fire.
Red Lake 14 near Pikangikum and Red Lake 17
Red 14 near Pikangikum is under control at 3,835 hectares. Crews continue to search for hot spots identified through infrared scans.
Red 17 northeast of Trout Lake is under control at 6,507 hectares. Crews continue to re-enforce existing hose lines and extinguish hot spots identified by infrared scanning.
Fire hazard for the Northwest Region
The forest fire hazard is high to extreme across most of the region with an area of low to moderate hazard in the far north of Red Lake and Sioux Lookout districts.
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)
- Follow us on Twitter: @OnForestFire
