NEWS RELEASE
MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND FORESTRY
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- Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services
- Northeast Fire Region
- August 18, 2018
- Time of Report 17:13
Situation Update:
On the afternoon of August 18, there are 38 active forest fires across the Northeast. Of these, two fires are not yet under control. The remaining 36 fires are either being held, under control or being observed.
There were three new fires confirmed today, at the time of this update.
Sudbury 116 is being held at 0.4 of a hectare near Weequed Lake, approximately 19 km west of Hwy 144.
Sault Ste. Marie 15 is being held at 0.6 of a hectare, approximately 14 km southeast of Elliot Lake.
Timmins 15 is on the east side of Pine St. South, which is located south of the community of Timmins. It covers 0.1 of a hectare.
Incident Management Teams
One Incident Management Team is in place in the region. It is managing Parry Sound 33.
Lady Evelyn Fire Cluster
The status of North Bay 72 is now under control at 27, 285 hectares.
Infrared scanning continues in order to identify hot spots.
Six fire crews remain on site, they continue to find and extinguish smokes and hot spots on the interior of the fire.
Two helicopters are assigned to this fire with bucketing capacities.
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.
Although the fire perimeter remains restricted, waterway and road restrictions were lifted effective 18:00 (6:00pm) on August 15, 2018.
There is still a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) in place over the fire for aircraft.
MNRF still has over 132 forest fire fighters on the ground actioning the remaining hot spots in a coordinated and prioritized manner.
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
Resources From Out of Province
Ontario is receiving support from across Canada, the United States and Mexico to assist with the fire situation. A total of 142 firefighters and support staff are currently in the province.
Alberta is providing personnel and equipment.
British Columbia is providing equipment.
Newfoundland is providing equipment.
Northwest Territories is providing personnel and equipment.
Nova Scotia is providing equipment.
Saskatchewan is providing equipment.
Quebec is providing personnel.
Mexico is providing personnel.
Restricted Fire Zone in Effect
A restricted fire zone remains in effect in 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
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