Only 5 of 41 fires now ‘out of control,’ as of Aug. 12, says MNRF

Parry Sound 33 has come a long way in improvement since this July file photo. (Matt Bell Alberta fire information officer)

PARRY SOUND — Sunday morning dawned anew with 41 active forest fires across the northeastern ONtario.

Of these, five are not yet under control, 36 are either being held, under control or being observed. And there were no new fires confirmed yesterday and three fires extinguished.

That’s from the epicentre of the burning bush: the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry firefighting command centre headquarters.

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 has not grown in size and remains at 27, 285 ha and is listed as Being Held.
  • Crews continue to remove equipment from areas of the fire that are less active.
  • There have been some changes made to the travel restrictions around North Bay 72. A detailed map is available at Ontario.ca/forestfire

Parry Sound 33

  • There was no growth on the fire yesterday; it remains at 11, 362 hectares.
  • With the adjustment to the Implementation Order, people are able to return to their cottages and residences. A daytime travel restriction remains for Pickerel River and Key River. For details and a map visit Ontario.ca/forestfire.
  • Suppression operations continue to take place in the interior of the fire. This includes helicopter bucketing, pump and hose, chainsaw and hand tool operations.
  • Infrared scanning continues to take place, helping crews to track and extinguish hotspots
  • For updates on highway conditions, including closures, please call 511.

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

For media inquiries: 705-564-6156

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

For Parry Sound District information, including calls related travel restrictions or to the recommendation of these evacuations and alerts, call  1-888-220-7242

For Sudbury District information, including calls related to travel restrictions or to the recommendation of evacuation alerts, 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