THUNDER BAY – Restictions in the Red Lake region have been lifted. While there are still 18 wildfires in the Northwest, including one fire which is not under control. There are two fires are being held, and four fires are under control, and 11 fires are being observed.
There was one new forest fire confirmed by the afternoon of July 24.
- Sioux Lookout 32 is not under control at 1.5 hectares and is located near Whitmore Lake, approximately 33 kilometres southwest of Pickle Lake.
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. Fire fighters 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 moderate to high in the western portions of the region and low to moderate in the eastern portions of the region.
End of travel restrictions in parts of Red Lake district due to forest fire
The implementation order for travel & access restrictions that was in place to ensure the safety of the public and emergency response personnel in the Red Lake District has been lifted
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
