RED LAKE, Ont. – Significant amounts of rainfall have helped fire crews battle back a forest fire threatening the town of Red Lake, about 500 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay.
Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) Information Officer Chris Marchand called the 46 millimetres of rain that fell in the area over the past 48 hours a “game changer,” allowing the ministry to downgrade the fire’s status from “out of control” to “being held” by Saturday morning.
Crews would be able to push into the interior of the fire, known as Red Lake 49, to fight hot spots on Saturday, Marchand expected.
The 550 hectare fire sat two to three kilometres south of Red Lake as of Saturday morning, and around three kilometres west of a section of Highway 105. The MNRF has restricted access to much of the area for non-essential personnel.
https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/restricted-access-due-to-red-lake-forest-fire-2637234
The MNRF was responding to the fire with 20 crews of four people each on the ground, with 8 helicopters bucketing water on the fire Saturday, with two water bombers on alert in Red Lake.
Marchand called the newest developments good news for Red Lake residents, the majority of whom had evacuated the community by Friday.
