No new fires reported yesterday as weather systems with rain and thunderstorms tracked across the region and dropped the hazard to “low” in most locations.
Ministry of Natural Resources fire management supervisor Harrold Boven said this morning the fire hazard for Fort Frances District has dipped to “low to moderate” because of the recent precipitation.
As such, those who were handing out fire information to tourists at the border here to warn them of the hazard level last week no longer are doing that job.
But Boven stressed there are pockets in the district where the fire hazard remains “extreme,” including Stratton and the Sapawe-Atikokan area, and fire starts remain a definite possibility.
It was a different story Saturday, however, when the MNR reported 12 new fires, including one in Fort Frances District, two in the Kenora District, five in the Red Lake District, two in the Sioux Lookout District, and two in the Thunder Bay District.
The local fire was at Panorama Lake, in the Nestor Falls area. But the O.2-hectare, lightning-caused blaze was extinguished shortly after being reported.
The regional MNR office reported good progress on all fires, with some help from the rain and a lot of hard work by firefighters. Most of the blazes which started Saturday are “out” by now.
There currently are nine active fires in the West Fire Region, including one in Kenora District, one in Nipigon District, four in Red Lake District, two in Sioux Lookout District, and one in Thunder Bay District.
These cover 954.3 ha in total.
There have been 191 fires to date in the West Fire Region, consuming 1,080.5 ha. Twenty-six of these were in Fort Frances District, having burned up 14.3 ha.
Call the forest fire information line at 1-888-258-8842 to access a recorded message on the status of the forest fire situation in the region.
To report a wildfire in Northwestern Ontario, call 1-888-284-FIRE (3473).
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
