As of the afternoon of May 30, there are no active wildland fires in the region. At the time of this update, the fire hazard is mostly low to moderate on the eastern side of the region, and mostly moderate to high on the western side of the region.
Northwest Forest Fire Update
- There were no new forest fires in the Northwest Region by the mid-afternoon of May 30.
- There are currently four active fires in the region, three of which are listed as not under control.
- Red 14 is located near the eastern boundary of Pikangikum First Nation, approximately 2.5 kilometres east of the community’s airport. The fire is now at 3,320 hectares. Two CL-415 air tankers and up to 12 FireRanger crews focused their efforts on the fire’s western edge today with the aim of preventing it from advancing westward. The fire is not under control.
- Red 13 is located 23 kilometres south of Red Lake. At 18 hectares, the fire is not under control
- Red 12 is located in Woodland Caribou Provincial Park, approximately 64 kilometres west of Red Lake. At 25 hectares, the fire is not under control.
- The fire hazard in the Northwest Region is high throughout most of the Red Lake, Kenora, Dryden, Fort Frances, Thunder Bay sectors and the North Shore portion of the Nipigon district. Hazard conditions are also high in the Sioux Lookout district turning to a moderate in the far north portions of Sioux Lookout and Nipigon districts.
Out of province resources
More than 200 staff members from Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services are assisting the province of Alberta with its escalated fire situation. This includes FireRangers, support staff and one incident management team. In addition, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is providing equipment such as pumps, hose and hand tools to support Alberta.
The sharing of resources across Canada is facilitated by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre in Winnipeg under the Mutual Aid Resource Sharing agreement.
The fire situation in Ontario has been relatively quiet since the beginning of the 2019 fire season, and we remain fully prepared to respond to any forest fires that may arise here at home.
Crews deployed to assist with flood response
There are 17 members of the Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services team currently deployed to assist with sandbagging efforts and the movement of water from low lying areas in various communities affected by flooding. AFFES is also providing logistical support and equipment such as pumps and hose. Assistance will continue until the situation stabilizes or assistance is no longer required.
Spring is grass fire season
Think wildland fires are just a problem in the summer? Think again. Spring is grass fire season and grass fires can spread rapidly.
When performing spring yard clean up, seek alternatives to burning by considering composting or using your local landfill. Don’t be the reason behind a spring wildland fire this year.
Fire numbers and online information
- For up to date forest fire hazard conditions in your area, see the interactive fire map atOntario.ca/forestfire.
- 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
- Annual aerial moose surveys underway - December 14, 2023
- Relevés aériens annuels des orignaux en cours - December 14, 2023
- Restrictions on fires lifted - July 11, 2023