DRYDEN, Ont. — Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry firefighters are working to put out eight new forest fires in Northwestern Ontario.
Four of the eight outbreaks reported Wednesday are in the ministry's Thunder Bay fire district.
They include a 15-hectare blaze near Dewey Lake, 45 kilometres northeast of Armstrong.
The others in the district are near Wigwasan Lake, 38 kilometres southwest of Armstrong; near Mojikit Lake, 78 kilometres northeast of Armstrong; and near Return Lake, 100 kilometres northwest of Geraldton.
The largest new fire among those that were reported Wednesday in Northwestern Ontario is in the MNRF's Red Lake fire district.
It is burning near Apps Lake, 29 kilometres southwest of Deer Lake First Nation, and has consumed about 20 hectares of forest.
This fire is under observation.
Another fire in the Red Lake district, at 15 hectares in size, is about seven kilometres west of Sandy Lake First Nation.
Elsewhere in the region, Fort Frances Fire 47 remains not under control after burning about 407 hectares.
It exhibited smouldering conditions again on Wednesday.
It is situated near Northwest Bay in Naicatchewenin First Nation, just east of Lake Despair.
Some nearby residents have left the area due to air quality issues.
Twenty-one fire ranger crews are assigned to the fire.
Sioux Lookout Fire 17, about 85 kilometres north of Sioux Lookout, has consumed more than 1,400 hectares and remains not under control. The fire behaviour Wednesday was described as less active.
Heavy equipment and 28 crews continue suppression efforts.
As of Wednesday, a restricted fire zone is in place in the Kenora, Fort Frances, and Dryden districts, as well as the southern portions of Sioux Lookout and Red Lake districts.
All outdoor fires are banned until further notice.
As of Wednesday evening, there were 39 active fires in the Northwest Region, including 14 that were not under control.
The ministry reports that the fire hazard is mainly high to extreme in western parts of the region, and low to moderate in eastern portions, with a few areas of high hazard in the MNRF's Nipigon fire district.
