THUNDER BAY — A wildfire north of Thunder Bay was declared out on Tuesday almost as quickly as it was spotted, while overall statistics show the provincial fire season has so far been much worse than last year.
According to Ontario's Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES) agency, the fire at Baldhead Lake, about 200 kilometres north of the city, was declared out before it had grown more than one hectare in size.
The fire, which had been reported on Monday night, was the only new incident that day, although nearly a dozen fires raged elsewhere in Northwestern Ontario, the provincial fire agency said. Of those, three were classified as not under control.
As of Tuesday, more than 100 fires across the province had burned over nearly 390 square kilometres since fire season began on April 1, compared to a fraction of that amount for the same period in 2024.
To date, the 10-year average over the same period is 114 fires and about 150 square kilometres burned.
The largest current wildfire in the province remains Kenora No. 20, which was pegged late Monday at about 310 square kilometres. The fire, located about 40 km west of Kenora, was being attacked by ground crews and helicopters equipped to dump water, the Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services agency said.
"Cloud cover and smoke in the area have helped limit fire behaviour," the agency said in an update.
A provincial restricted fire zone remained in effect for an area roughly between Atikokan and the Manitoba border. According to Environment Canada, little to no rain is forecast for much of Northwestern Ontario.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, the province said it was "re-introducing" legislation to reduce the risk from wildfire as well as oil and gas wells.
A modernization of the Forest Fires Prevention Act would include "new requirements for wildland fire management plans, and stricter penalties for those who don't follow wildland fire laws to reduce the risk of unwanted human-caused fires," a provincial news release said.
Last week, the Ministry of Natural Resources said the budget for fighting "emergency" wildfires had not been cut; for this season, it has a "start-up" allocation of $135 million.
"The ministry can receive a top-up to its allocation to cover the costs of wildland fire response for the fiscal year," a ministry spokesman said.
NDP MPP Lise Vaugeois (Thunder Bay-Superior North) said questions remain about the provincial firefighting department's "base budget, which covers non-emergency matters like the maintenance of fire bases.
"What they need to explain is why over the last two budget cycles they've cut the base budget for wildland firefighting, when the firefighters themselves have told us they're understaffed and under-resourced," Vaugeois said in an email.
"Already this year, wildfires are up and communities are being evacuated," Vaugeois added.
The ministry didn't respond when The Chronicle-Journal asked about the base budget for provincial firefighting.
Vaugeois also said the province continues to renege on an earlier commitment to make the provincial "fire ranger" classification on par with professional and volunteer firefighters.
The Chronicle Journal / Local Journalism Initiative
