THUNDER BAY – Wildfire Update – There was one new forest fire confirmed by the afternoon of July 23.
- Nipigon Fire Number 11 is being observed at 0.1 hectares and is located on Fluor Island, approximately 40 kilometres southeast of Nipigon.
There are currently 17 active fires in the region. Two fires are being held, four fires are under control, and 11 fires are being observed.
Fires of Note
Red Lake Fire Number 23 is located approximately eight kilometres south of the community of Keewaywin. At a size of 96,535 hectares, this fire’s status is ‘under control’.
Red Lake Fire Number 39 is located southwest of Pikangikum First Nation. At 44,541 hectares, this fire’s status is ‘being held’. Early morning infra-red scanning is ongoing in priority areas to identify hot spots.
Red Lake Fire Number 40 is located approximately 40 kilometres north of Red Lake. This fire is being held at 30,212 hectares. Firefighters continue to consolidate and maintain suppression lines. In addition, crews are patrolling and extinguishing hot spots in areas where the fire has burned to natural boundaries
Fire hazard for the Northwest Region
The forest fire hazard is predominantly moderate with areas of high hazard in the Nipigon district and northern portions of Thunder Bay and Sioux Lookout Districts. There is an area of low hazard in the centre of the region.
Travel restrictions in parts of Red Lake District due to forest fires
Pursuant to the Emergency Area Order signed July 9, 2019, an Implementation Order has been issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry prohibiting access and travel in portions of Red Lake District where there are public safety hazards as a result of a number of fires in the Red Lake area.
The Order restricts travel, access and use in an identified area and may be modified regularly to reflect changing fire conditions.
This measure has been put in place to ensure public safety while allowing fire personnel to safely and effectively suppress the fires in the identified area.
Unless authorized by a travel permit issued by the Red Lake District office of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, no person shall enter into the hatched area identified on the Implementation Order (IO-2019-04-Red05).
All travel and use of the Coli road, Sidace road, Bandit road Rita Lake Road and North Road is prohibited.
If a member of the public believes that access within the restricted travel area is necessary for non-recreational purposes, please call contact the Red Lake District office to request a travel authorization permit. MNRF will review the request for access based on the rationale provided, local fire activity, and the potential fire risk.
