July 21: 24 fires discovered
24 new fires were discovered in the region by late afternoon on Wednesday, July 21, according to the Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services.
These fires are located in the following districts: Red Lake (2); Sioux Lookout (8); Dryden (4); Nipigon (4); Kenora (1); Thunder Bay (3) and Fort Frances (2).
There are currently 170 active fires in the region. 83 fires are not under control, 17 fires are being held, 50 are being observed and 20 fires are under control.
Dryden steps up to help support and assist evacuees
The City of Dryden as a community has stepped up to provide assistance to evacuated communities from the ongoing fire situation across the region. The city has partnered with The Loomex Group to provide air transportation and evacuation centre coordination.
July 20: 70 new fires confirmed
70 new fires were confirmed in the northwest region by early evening on Tuesday, July 20, 2021, according to the Aviation, Forest Fire, and Emergency Services. These fires are located in the following districts: Red Lake (20); Sioux Lookout (24); Dryden (10); Kenora (6); Nipigon (3); Thunder Bay (1) and Fort Frances (6).
There are 165 active fires in the region, 84 are not under control, 13 fires are being held, 48 fires are being observed and 23 are under control.
MNRF suspends high risk industry activities effective tomorrow
In order to protect Northwestern Ontario from further forest damage across the region, the provincial government has added restrictions on high-risk industries.
The restrictions include operations in mining, rail, construction, and transportation, that have the potential to cause sparks and ignite fires.
Effective tomorrow, suspended activities include, specific drilling operations, using heavy machinery with rubber tires and no chains, and rail production grinding.
Is your emergency kit packed?
It's recommended that Canadians have a 72-hour emergency kit ready in case of evacuation, threatening weather, and power outages.
The hot, dry conditions have led to an unusually bad forest fire season, resulting in the evacuation of several First Nation communities and threatening the communities of Red Lake and Madsen.
From Safe Communities Kenora, Maria Bagdonas says region residents need to have their kits ready so they can evacuate at a moment's notice.
July 19: 18 fires discovered
18 new fires were discovered in the region by late afternoon on Monday, July 19, according to the Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services.
There are 111 active fires in the region. 37 fires are not under control, 9 fires are being held, 45 are being observed and 20 fires are under control.
The wildland fire hazard is high to extreme in the southern Nipigon and Thunder Bay districts as well as a few areas of Red Lake district. The rest of the region is low to moderate following scattered amounts of rain.
The new fires discovered are:
Smoke expected to stay throughout the day
Environment Canada has issued a special air quality statement for Kenora, Dryden, Vermilion Bay and the surrounding communities.
July 18: Five fires reported
Five new fires were discovered in the region by late afternoon on Sunday, July 18, according to the Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services.
There were 101 active fires in the northwest region. Thirty fires were not under control, eight fires were being held, 20 fires were under control and 43 fires were being observed. Seven fires were called out on Sunday
The forest fire hazard is high to extreme across the district and the Restricted Fire Zone remains in place.
The new fires discovered are;
July 17: 15 fires reported
15 new fires were discovered in the region by late afternoon on Saturday, July 17, according to the Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services.
There are 102 active fires in the northwest region. Thirty-four fires are not under control, seven fires are being held, 18 fires are under control and 43 fires are being observed. A total of 13 fires were called out on Saturday.
The forest fire hazard is high to extreme across the district and the Restricted Fire Zone remains in place.
The new fires discovered are;
July 16: 17 fires discovered
17 new fires were discovered in the region by late afternoon on Friday, July 16 with more reports yet to be investigated, according to the Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services.
There are 95 active fires in the northwest region. Thirty-two fires are not under control, 10 fires are being held, 15 fires are under control and 38 fires are being observed. A total of 10 fires were called out today.
The forest fire hazard is high to extreme across the district and the Restricted Fire Zone remains in place.
The new fires discovered are;