There were four new forest fires confirmed in the region by the late afternoon yesterday.
Fort Frances fire #7 is under control at 0.1 hectares and is located on an island on Rainy Lake.
Dryden fire #9 is not under control at 0.3 ha. and is located near Eagle Lake, approximately 28 kilometres southwest of Dryden
Kenora fire #39 is under control at 0.2 ha. and is located near Shoal Lake, approximately 45 kilometres west of Kenora.
Red Lake fire #33 is not under control at 1.6 ha. and is located near Lund Lake, approximately 38 kilometres west of Red Lake.
There are currently 13 active fires in the region. Four fires are not under control, four fires are under control and five fires are being observed.
Of note is Kenora fire #37, south of Umfreville Lake. It is 15.7 ha. and required aggressive air attack and ground suppression to keep it in check.
Red Lake fire #14 near Pikangikum is under control at 3,835 ha. in size. Crews continue to search for hot spots identified through infrared scans.
Red Lake fire #17, located northeast of Trout Lake ,is under control at 6,507 ha. Crews continue to re-enforce existing hose lines and extinguish hot spots identified by infrared scanning.
The forest fire hazard is predominantly low to moderate with areas of high hazard along the Manitoba border.
Adopt safe campfire practices this long weekend.
Remember to:
- 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 report a forest fire, call 310-FIRE (3473).
