July 22, 2011

The forest fire battle continues across Ontario today. Thirteen new fires were reported yesterday. A few of these fires may be older and just detected because some smoke has lifted, improving visibility. The total number of fires currently burning in the province to date is 111. The fires cover 493,000 ha to date.

Cloud cover and some precipitation over parts of  Northwestern Ontario slowed the fires growth somewhat but 11 new fires were detected. High winds in the southern part of the area of concern did cause some extreme fire behaviour.  . Today’s weather forecast calls for cloud cover and some precipitation in the area of concern, clearing later in the day. A relatively quiet fire day with little smoke issues is expected. However, multiple fire starts are expected to occur over the next few days from thunderstorm activity.

Yesterday’s planned evacuations from multiple communities are completed. Evacuees were transported to Thunder Bay or Toronto and then moved to host locations including Greenstone, Mooseonee, Marathon, Ignace, and Ottawa. The number of evacuees to date is 3591. There are currently no evacuations planned for today. The MNR, EMO, and other partner agencies will continue to execute evacuations as needed and quickly and safely as possible.

Currently, there are over 2000 fire personnel engaged on Ontario fires. Of this 2000, 621 are from out of province. Provinces providing Ontario with firefighting resources include British Columbia, Yukon, Saskatchewan, Alberta, New Brunswick, Quebec, Manitoba, and Newfoundland/ Labrador. Firefighting equipment being used today includes 17 heavy bombers, 4 light bombers, 90+ helicopters and other support aircraft.

A Restricted Fire Zone continues to be implemented on the north western regions of the province. This fire restriction will remain in place until further notice. More information on Restricted Fire Zones is available at Current Restricted Fire Zones in Ontario.

Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services continue to address fires with aggressive force.
To see where forest fires are burning click here:
http://forest.lrc.gov.on.ca/AFFM/fire/interactivemap/firemap_English.htm