Staff
While some parts of the region saw snow last week, the Ministry of Natural Resources’ Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services program was kept busy.
Two prescribed burns were ignited, with fire specialists reporting excellent results from the controlled burns.
Fort Frances District ignited the Pekagoning Lake prescribed burn, located about 60 km northwest of Atikokan at Pekagoning Lake.
The project area is roughly 140 hectares in size, and is partially within the Turtle River–White Otter Lake Provincial Park.
Meanwhile, Red Lake District ignited the Odin Lake prescribed burn, located about 50 km north-northwest of Red Lake on Odin Lake in the Valhalla region.
The project area is about 1,400 ha in size.
As well, two small lightning-caused blazes were responded to in Fort Frances District, along with several others in the Kenora and Dryden districts.
On Oct. 17, Fort Frances Fire #46 was found during a monitoring flight of the Pekagoning prescribed burn.
The fire is located on a small island which was almost burned off.
A fire assessment report was done on it and the fire will be monitored until it goes out naturally.
A day earlier, Fort Frances Fire #45 was reported. It had multiple spot fires and was put “out” at a size of 0.7 ha.
Fort Frances Fire #43, a 0.4-ha, human-caused fire first reported Oct. 6, continues to be observed in Quetico Park.
For residents planning to do brush or grass burning for fall clean-up, they are reminded there is no day-burning of these fires under the Forest Fires Prevention Act of Ontario.
They are to be started no sooner than two hours before sunset and be out no later than two hours after sunrise.
Meanwhile, people pursuing hunting and recreational activities in the forest areas are cautioned to manage their campfires carefully—keeping them small, attending them at all times, and making sure they are dead out before leaving the site.
To report a forest fire, call 310-FIRE (3473).
