DRYDEN, Ont. — The forest fire hazard has dropped across most of northwestern Ontario, but the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is still dealing with 38 active fires in the region.
Four new ones were discovered Sunday, including a 15-hectare lightning-caused blaze in the remote Opasquia Provincial Park in the ministry's Red Lake district.
The same district has a 10-hectare fire at Pierce Lake near the Manitoba boundary.
The region's largest fire, Red Lake # 38, was upgraded over the weekend to 28,000 hectares in size as it merged with Red Lake fire # 52 on Sunday. Fire ranger crews were able to take advantage of 15-20 millimetres of rain in their efforts to consolidate those lines on the western flank closest to the community of North Spirit Lake.
Ten MNRF crews with helicopter bucket support are also making headway on a 200-hectare fire about eight kilometres southwest of Sachigo Lake in the Sioux Lookout district.
Thirty kilometres west of Pigankikum, ten ranger crews are continuing suppression efforts on a 156-hectare fire.
In the Nipigon district, five crews are assigned to a 55-hectare fire about 17 kilometres south of Summer Beaver. It is now listed as under control.
As of Monday afternoon, 35 of the 38 active fires were either under control, being held, or under observation by the MNRF.
The ministry's fire hazard map Tuesday morning showed the danger level is low to moderate across the northwest, but there are pockets of high hazard conditions in the Dryden and Sioux Lookout districts.
