THUNDER BAY – As the region enjoys the first weekend since the lifting of a province-wide fire ban, the fire hazard remains mostly low across northwestern Ontario. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) reports only one active fire in the region.
That sole active fire, known as Thunder Bay 4 and located about seven kilometres north of the Highway 11/17 junction at Shabaqua, is considered under control at 110 hectares in size.
A short-lived grass fire was discovered Saturday adjacent to Highway 11 near Long Lake, about 86 kilometres east of Atikokan, but was quickly extinguished.
While the fire hazard is considered mainly low across the region, the MNRF says isolated pockets of moderate hazard remain. Residents can access up-to-date information on forest fire hazard conditions in their area through the province’s interactive fire map.
The MNRF reminds the public to continue following provincial fire rules. Unless the individual has a fire permit, those include: igniting the fire no sooner than two hours before sunset, and extinguishing it no later than two hours after sunrise; burning only a single pile, less than two metres in diameter and height, at a time; and keeping the fire at least two metres from flammable materials.
Despite the lifting of the provincial fire ban, some areas may still have municipal fire bans in place.
