With the risk for new wildland fires remaining in the high range in rural areas near Thunder Bay, some affected municipalities are reminding residents to put off brush-burning and lighting camp fires until dusk.
A bulletin posted on Tuesday on Shuniah’s Fire and Emergency Services department website was to-the-point: “No daytime burning allowed,” it said.
Though the province said “the wildland fire hazard is primarily moderate to low across the Northwest region,” Shuniah was one of the pockets in the region with a high-risk rating.
“A High Danger Rating means forest fuels are very dry and the fire risk is serious,” the Shuniah department said on its website. “New fires may start easily, burn vigorously, and challenge fire suppression efforts.”
It added: “Extreme caution must be used in any forest activities. Open burning and industrial activities may be restricted.”
Meanwhile, current statistics compiled by Ontario’s Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES) agency show the province remains on track to experience a lighter wildfire season than the severe one in 2023.
As of Tuesday, there had been 358 fires across the province compared to 683 for the same period last year.
The big change is in the amount of area burned so far this season: about 830 square kilometres, compared to 4,073 square kilometres — more than double the 10-year average — in 2023 for the same period.
Currently, the largest fire burning in the province is located in the remote north about 60 kilometres northwest of Sandy Lake First Nation near the Ontario-Manitoba border.
The AFFES agency had the blaze’s size pegged at 187 square kilometres on Tuesday.
“The fire’s status is being observed and is being regularly monitored for growth,” an agency spokesman said.
