**MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND FORESTRY**

NORTHEAST REGION

Regional Fire Situation – July 18, 2018

By the evening of July 18, there are 66 active forest fires across the Northeast, of these, 28 are not yet under control, 38 are either being held, under control or being observed.

Today, there were 17 new starts in the region, none of which have been declared out at the time of this update.

Several recent starts in the Cochrane sector:

Where it had been previously quiet, the Cochrane sector now has twelve active forest fires. Five are being observed to allow the natural benefits of fire on the landscape, there are no values threatened in the area of these fires.

Of note, Cochrane 14 is not yet under control at 400 hectares, it is located west of Tomorrow and Yesterday Lakes. Values protection (sprinklers on structures) is underway and will continue tomorrow as a precautionary measure.

Cochrane 8 covers 85 hectares and is not yet under control at the time of this update. Four crews and aerial fire suppression resources were on scene today, in the form of two CL415 waterbombers, a birddog aircraft and helicopter support.

Good progress is being made on Cochrane 9 and Cochrane 12 is under control at 3 hectares. Hearst 12 is not yet under control at 487 hectares. It is located northeast of the Mattagami River.  

Two new starts this evening include Hearst 13 which is located 37 km north of highway 11, southeast of Jog Lake. It measures 200 hectares and is not yet under control. Cochrane 16 which is located south of Natogami Lake, covers 0.1 of a hectare and is not yet under control.

Four new starts in the Pembroke region:

Of the four new lightning starts in the Pembroke sectors, Pembroke 5 required aerial fire suppression in the form of a bucketing helicopter. It covers 1.5 hectares and is located east of Grant’s Creek Provincial Park.

Incident Management Teams

Incident Management Teams (IMTs) are in place in the region. They are managing priority fires in 3 areas:

  • River Valley Cluster
  • Lake Temagami Cluster
  • Lady Evelyn Cluster

River Valley Fire Cluster:

  • The River Valley Fire Cluster includes two fires.
  • North Bay 62 covers 2,500 hectares and is not under control, while North Bay 42 covers 350 hectares and is not yet under control.
  • FireRanger crews are making steady progress on both fires.

Temagami Fire Cluster:

  • Due to the recent rainfall and the higher humidity, reduced fire activity continues to aid firefighting efforts on all fires within the cluster. Firefighters were able to call North Bay 53, North Bay 65 and North Bay 93, OUT.
  • North Bay 69, which previously caused the evacuation of twenty homes in the Temagami area, is now under control (UCO). Firefighters, are now focusing on working their way deep into the interior of the fire to check for hot spots.
  • Crews continue to patrol and mop up North Bay 14, North Bay 22, North Bay 54, North Bay 64, North Bay 66, North Bay 75, and North Bay 80. All these fires are ‘under control’.

Lady Evelyn Fire Cluster:

  • A successful controlled burn was carried out to reduce forest fuels. This strategy will bring the fires edge up to natural boundaries, further reducing the risk of fire spread and eliminating the need for ground crews in that area.
  • Heavy helicopters continued to bucket water onto North Bay 72 today, coordinating with crews on the ground. Fire behaviour was more aggressive today with higher temperatures and lower relative humidity. Crews continue to establish hose line along the east and north perimeter of the fire which is approximately 11 453 hectares.
  • The fire perimeter of North Bay 72 is approximately 80 kilometres.

Resources From Out of Province

  • Saskatchewan has provided one 20 person sustained attack crew, two safety officers, one agency representative, one radio operator and an air tanker package.
  • Alberta has supplied fifteen 4 person initial attack fire crews, a 19 person Incident Management Team, 2 agency representatives, 6 division supervisors and 2 information officers. There are also 3 air tanker packages in addition to fire suppression equipment such as pumps and hose.
  • British Columbia has supplied twenty 3 person initial attack crews, two 19 person sustained attack crews and 2 agency representatives.
  • Nova Scotia has supplied five 4 person initial attack crews, one safety officer and one agency representative.
  • Prince Edward Island has supplied a 4 person initial attack crew.
  • Newfoundland has supplied a 4 person initial attack crew.
  • Northwest Territories has supplied five 4 person initial attack crews, one 3 person crew, and an agency representative.
  • Minnesota has supplied one air support group supervisor, a helibase manager trainee and a 20 person sustained attack crew.
  • British Columbia has provided Ontario with 1,080 lengths of 1.5” hose, 30 power pumps with tool kits, 30 intake hose, 230 fuel containers, 200 backpack pumps and 200 axes.
  • Alberta has provided 960 lengths of 1.5” hose, fifty power pumps with tool kits, intake hose, fuel containers, as well as 100 additional fuel containers. They’ve also provided 201 shovels, fifty pulaskis and 30 chest coolers.

Additional resources expected in the coming days

  • Wisconsin will be providing one 8 person fire crew.
  • Newfoundland will be providing one more 4 person fire crew.
  • Saskatchewan will be providing 5 additional support staff.
  • The Northwest Territories is sending 1,000 lengths of 1.5” hose to the province of Ontario.

SMOKE CONCERNS

  • Parry Sound 33 created a significant amount of smoke along Hwy 69, south of Grundy Lake Provincial Park this evening. Aerial fire suppression and ground crews were on site tonight. It is expected that this 30 hectare fire will continue to create smoke in the area tomorrow.
  • Many Ontario residents have reported smoke drift in their communities. Smoky conditions are expected to continue when fires are active, until weather patterns change.
  • AFFES is reminding the public that if they do see flames or smoke, please report it, and stay away from the area in the interest of public safety.
  • If you have questions or concerns about smoke and your health, please contact Tele Health Ontario at 1-866-797-0000.

Temagami area information

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has been advised by the Municipality of Temagami that the evacuation alert has been lifted in Temagami, and that Fire Tower Road as well as the Fire Tower are now open.

Travel Restrictions

MNRF issued an Emergency Area Order (EAO) for parts of the North Bay District due to active fires around Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater, Lake Temagami and the North Bay District.

  • Please visit Ontario.ca/forestfire as this information is being updated regularly.
  • For information about these travel restrictions: 705-475-5546
  • For media inquiries contact: 705-564-6146
  • For inquiries by members of the public contact: 705-564-6165
  • For inquiries on highway closures: Call 5-1-1

FIRE NUMBERS AND ONLINE INFORMATION:

  • To report a forest fire located north of the French and Mattawa rivers, please dial 310-FIRE (3473)
  • To report a forest fire located south of the French or Mattawa rivers, please dial 911.
  • Follow us on Twitter: in English @ONForestFires or in French @ONFeuDeForêt
  • For up to date information on current fires in the province or to check the forest fire hazard in your area, visit Ontario.ca/forestfire

For guidelines on safe outdoor fire management ontario.ca/fireprevention.

 

See the restricted areas on this PDF map.  (Note: this map gets updated regularly and the link to the pdf file will change.)

These restrictions will remain in effect until further notice.  Stay safe!

Restricted Fire Zone declared in Northeast Region
Due to the extreme fire hazard, several recent periods of heavy lightning and the large number of wildfires burning, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has implemented a Restricted Fire Zone in some areas of Northeastern Ontario as outlined on the interactive fire map.

During a Restricted Fire Zone, the use of open fires – such as campfires, or burning of brush or debris, is restricted. Failure to comply could result in fines of up to $25,000 and three months in jail, as well as financial responsibility for the costs incurred in fighting a forest fire.

Portable gas or propane stoves are permitted for use for cooking or warmth, though they should be closely monitored. Portable charcoal BBQs and Hibachis are not permitted unless within 100 metres of a dwelling, or within an organized campground.

Commercial campground operators may allow their guests to enjoy campfires during a Restricted Fire Zone period provided they meet certain conditions.

The Restricted Fire Zone is a temporary measure to reduce the number of new human-caused wildfires as the Aviation Forest Fire and Emergency Services branch of the OMNRF expects the elevated forest fire hazard to continue into the foreseeable future.

The forest fire hazard is expected to be generally moderate to high across the Northeast tomorrow.