Saturday forest fire report

FOREST FIRE UPDATE

MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES

************************* Forest fire situation update - East Fire Region - August 7

There were four new fires reported in the East Fire Region on August 7.

Parry Sound District Fire Number 24 is a 0.1-hectare fire reported on Franklin Island near Parry Sound. The Carling Fire Department took action on it.

North Bay District responded to two fires, including North Bay Fire Number 88 which is a 0.1-hectare fire on Longbow Lake near Lake Temagami. No problems are anticipated.

North Bay District Fire Number 80 is a 0.2-hectare fire reported by organized Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources detection. It is located near Tyne Lake along the western boundary of Algonquin Provincial Park and FireRangers are on the fire.

Detection also reported a smoke on the top of a hill east of Grant’s Creek on the northern boundary of Algonquin Provincial Park.

FireRangers traveled to the fire by helicopter and two Twin Otter water bombers are responding to Pembroke District Fire Number 05. It is 1.0 hectare in size.

There were also three new fires reported in the East Fire Region on August 06.

FireRangers responded to Sudbury District Fire Number 142 and 146 and both fires are now out.

Parry Sound District Fire Number 23 is five hectares in size and required the commitment of a CL-415 heavy waterbomber and a Twin Otter water bomber until dark on August 6. There are no values in the immediate area. Three crews are committed to the fire.

Ontario now has 270 fire personnel in British Columbia in addition to 20 staff in Manitoba and 41 in Saskatchewan for a total of 331 Ontario fire personnel out of province.

This includes FireRanger Type 1 crews, incident management teams, fire specialists and overhead staff.

Ontario is also providing equipment to the western provinces such as pumps, fire hoses and sprinkler systems for values protection.

More resources are planned for dispatch to British Columbia with an Information Officer scheduled to arrive on August 7.

An incident management team of 19 personnel, an information officer and a systems officer are on deck for dispatch to British Columbia on August 9.

Sufficient fire fighting personnel, equipment and aircraft remain in Ontario to meet current and forecast fire demands here.

Requests for assistance for other provinces and territories are coordinated through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) in Winnipeg and so far this fire season Ontario has fulfilled 28 requests from that agency.

Residents are reminded that if found responsible for a forest fire, they can be charged under the Forest Fires Prevention Act and/or be liable for the costs of suppressing the fire.

This cost can easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars.

To view the current forest fire hazard in your area, click here to view the Fire Danger Map.

310-FIRE (3473) is the new, toll-free emergency forest fire reporting phone number across Northern Ontario.

The number will operate north of the French and Mattawa Rivers.

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