Would it be jinxing it to say the wildfire season in northeastern Ontario is off to a thankfully slow start compared to last year?
There are currently no active wildland fires in the Northeast Fire Region, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry's firefighting division said in its biweekly report on Thursday.
There have been two new fires since their last report Monday, according to Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services, however both of those fires are already out:
- North Bay 3 (NOR003) was confirmed on the late afternoon of May 7 and is now out. The fire was 0.5 hectares and was located next to Highway 522, 1 km southwest of Foreshew Lake.
- Hearst 4 (HEA004) was confirmed on May 8 and is now out. The fire was 0.6 hectares and was located 4 km west of Johnson’s Lake.
The fire hazard is low in areas of the region south of the Sault, Chapleau and Temiskaming Shores, the AFFES said.
Areas north of these communities are showing a moderate fire hazard.
AFFES reminded the public to use caution when performing outdoor burning of yard waste and woody debris, and encouraged composting or using the local landfill.
If you must burn, follow Ontario’s Outdoor Burning Regulations.