THUNDER BAY – There was one new forest fire confirmed by the afternoon of July 05.
- Red Lake Fire Number 46 is not under control at 0.1 hectares and is located approximately 5 kilometres south of Sandy Lake First Nation.
There are currently 19 active fires in the region. Five are not under control, two are being held, five fires are under control, and seven fires are being observed.
Fires of Note
Red Lake Fire Number 23 is 8 kilometres south of the community of Keewaywin. This fire is currently 71,993 hectares in size. Northwest winds today will keep fire spread mainly towards the southeast. The incident management team is established in Sandy Lake First Nation. Fire Ranger crews have been placing sprinklers around the community. Aerial ignition opportunities will be looked at as well.
Red Fire Number 39 –The fire size is currently 18,000 hectares. This fire is being managed by an Incident Management Team as part of a larger cluster of fires. Northwest winds today should keep smoke out of the community and limit the fire’s spread to the north. The Incident Management team is looking for aerial ignition opportunities to tie the fire into natural boundaries and areas where FireRanger crews can lay hose lines. The fire is approximately seven kilometres southwest of the community on the opposite side of the lake.
Red Lake Fire Number 40 is not under control at 8932 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 continue on this fire. Crews continue to reinforce control lines and dozer guards along the fire.
Smoke Drift
Smoke drift from forest fires in the Red Lake district and Manitoba will be visible today across the southern portion of the Northwest Region. If you have questions or concerns about smoke and your health, please contact TeleHealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000.
Fire hazard for the Northwest Region
The forest fire hazard is high to extreme across most of the Northwest Region, except for a small area of moderate hazard running southwest to northeast through the middle of the region.
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
