DRYDEN, Ont. – Travel restrictions caused by a pair of fires in the Nipigon area have been lifted, even as efforts continue to battle those fires, and forest fire hazard was mixed across the Northwest.
The provincial Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES) on Sunday lifted an implementation order that had restricted access to areas in the Nipigon District threatened by forest fires Nipigon 7 and Nipigon 8.
That included areas north of the Camp 81 Road/Devious Lake junction and west of the Camp 81 Road/John Ahl Road/Hainsworth Road junction.
Efforts to fight the fires remain in full swing, however, with crews from out of province crews working to contain the 2,410-hectare Nipigon 7 fire.
The fire, located about 45 kilometres east of the town of Nipigon, had its control status updated to “being held” on Saturday.
Only one new forest fire was reported over the weekend across the Northwest. As of Saturday evening, there were 27 active fires burning in the region.
One of those, Sioux Lookout 17, was listed as not under control by AFFES.
The 630-hectare fire is located near Otatakan Lake, about 85 kilometres north of Sioux Lookout. Water bombers were used on Saturday to counter what the AFFES called “challenging fire behaviour” with crews continuing to fight the fire.
Of the remaining fires, 5 others were listed as being held, 12 as under control, and 9 as being observed.
Pockets of high forest fire hazard prevailed in some parts of the Thunder Bay, Nipigon, and Fort Frances sectors. Across the region, hazard was largely low to moderate.
Residents can find up-to-date information on fire hazard and nearby forest fires through the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry interactive fire map.
