Forest fire improvements, none out of control Thursday

PARRY SOUND — The lingering fire season in Northeastern Ontario doesn’t appear to be abating much.

But some. Perhaps due to the change in cooler, wetter late summer weather.

It is looking slightly better going into the fourth quarter of the critical July/August season begins to wrap up.

As of late afternoon yesterday, Aug. 16, there are now just 38 active forest fires across the Northeast.

That’s slightly down from all summer when just over 40 was the number the small army of Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry was dealing with.

They say in their daily bulletin that all active fires are either being held, under control or being observed.

None are no longer considered out of control.

And, as importantly, there were no new fires confirmed Thursday, at the time of this update.

Incident Management Teams

Incident Management Teams (IMTs) are in place in the region. They are managing priority fires in the following areas:

Lady Evelyn Cluster

Parry Sound 33

Lady Evelyn Fire Cluster

North Bay Fire 072 is being held at 27, 285 hectares.

Crews continue to remove equipment no longer required for suppression activities.

Smokes on the interior of the fire continue to be found and extinguished.

Helicopter bucketing is also supporting ground crews.

To find a detailed map of current travel restrictions visit Ontario.ca/forestfire.

Parry Sound 33

This fire is being held at 11,362 hectares.

To find an updated map of current travel restrictions visit Ontario.ca/forestfire.

Local residents will continue to see smoke drift from this fire over the next 2 or 3 days as weather conditions remain hot and dry.

Ground crews continue to extinguish hot spots within the fire perimeter and will continue moving to priority areas to search for additional hot spots

For updates on highway conditions, including closures, please call 511.

For information about the fire situation: 1-888-220-7242

For inquiries about French River Provincial Park restrictions: 705-857-1630 ext. 224

For Parry Sound District information, including calls related travel restrictions call 1-888-220-7242

For Sudbury District information, including calls related to travel restrictions call  1-888-220-7242

Restricted Fire Zone in Effect

Due to recent precipitation and good progress being made in containing existing forest fires, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has removed the Restricted Fire Zone for some areas of the Northeast Region effective 12:00pm(noon) August 10. The zones still affected include areas north of Rosseau, northwest to Espanola and Cartier, over to the Quebec border including Temagami and Mattawa north of the Mattawa River. This includes Parry Sound, Burk’s Falls, Powassan, North Bay and Greater Sudbury. For a visual representation of the affected areas please visit our interactive map Ontario.ca/forestfire.

If you live in an area outside the adjusted Restricted Fire Zone, be sure before you burn to check with your local municipality to ensure there’s no fire ban issued in your area. We’d also like to remind the public to take extra care when having a campfire and to follow the safety tips listed at Ontario.ca/forestfire.

Travel Restrictions Still in Place for Some Areas of the Northeast

In order to ensure MNRF and emergency officials are able to continue fire suppression operations in areas affected by large forest fires, travel restrictions remain in place near the Parry Sound 33, North Bay 72 and Pembroke 6 forest fires. These restrictions are in place to ensure public safety and the safety of emergency personnel working in the affected areas. Although some restrictions have been removed, others remain in place. For information on travel restrictions and travel permits, please call 1-888-220-7242. For a visual representation of the affected areas please visit Ontario.ca/forestfire.

Smoke concerns

Smoke drift from large fires in British Columbia and the United States may be evident until weather patterns change.

For information about the impacts smoke on your health please contact Teleheath Ontario at 1-866-797-0000.

AFFES is reminding the public that if they do see flames or smoke, please report it by calling 310-FIRE (3473), and stay away from the area in the interest of public safety.

Fire numbers and online information

To report a forest fire located north of the French and Mattawa rivers, please dial 310-FIRE

To report a forest fire located south of the French or Mattawa rivers, please dial 911.

Follow us on Twitter: @ONForestFires / @ONFeudeforêt

— Prepared by Isabelle Chenard