Fire hazard heating up

The fire hazard index rose to “extreme” over the weekend as some much-anticipated rain never materialized.
Harrold Boven, acting fire management supervisor for the Ministry of Natural Resources office here, said this morning that crews have had to fight three new blazes as of Saturday.
The largest of the three—currently being “held” at 100 hectares by firefighters—started around noon Saturday about 15 km north of Emo.
Boven noted the fire, which originally was responded to by the Emo Volunteer Fire Department, which then asked for assistance, has required seven MNR Fire- Ranger crews, three waterbombers, and one helicopter to fight.
The cause remains under investigation.
Another fire was responded to Saturday afternoon after electrical arcing from a power line sparked a tree on Flinder’s Road south of Highway 11.
The resultant 0.3 ha blaze was extinguished by the end of the day.
And another fire was reported overnight in Lac La Croix. Boven noted he didn’t have all the details, but did say it should be out by the end of the day.
Boven stressed grass and forest fuels are “extremely dry and explosive” at present and any open air burning should be avoided.
Fort Frances, Watten, Alberton, La Vallee, Emo, Chapple, Morley, Dawson, Rainy River, and Lake of the Woods, as well as Couchiching and Manitou Rapids, all have implemented an open air burning ban.
The Fort Frances District has seen 16 fires so far since the fire season began April 1.