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Hwy 17 closure: Active fires burning in several places from Espanola to Alban

Crews tackling five new local fires in intense heat, dry conditions

Highway 17 has been closed in both directions for several hours due to a forest fire burning west of Highway 6 from one of several forest fires burning in the area.

There are currently six active fires in the areas including Espanola, Greater Sudbury and Killarney. Local fire crews and Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry crews not only battled the fire, but also intense heat as the mercury soared to 30 C, with dry conditions persisting.

You can see the fires on the MNRF fire map here.

MNRF waterbombers have been criss-crossing the skies in the region all day as local crews and MNRF crews tackled five new fires.

Police issued a warning to travellers around 6 p.m. that there was heavy smoke in the area near McKerrow, and emergency personnel were on or near Highway 17.

The highway was closed shortly after that.

As of an hour ago, the Ontario 511 highway service was still reporting the highway closed, tweeting, “#Closure #McKerrow #HWY17 is closed in both directions near Mullen Rd due to a forest fire. #ONHwys.”A photo of the scene released by the OPP shows heavy smoke and flame.

Greater Sudbury Fire Services and MNRF firefighters are also fighting a fire on Spanish River Road in Whitefish this evening.

Deputy Fire Chief Jesse Oshell tweeted several photos from the scene at around 6:30 p.m. A water bomber was also being used to control that fire.

The city fire service also fought a fire in Levack this afternoon, again teaming up Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry crews. That fire is three hectares and near a residential area on First Avenue.

Fire stations from Sudbury, Levack, Dowling and Chelmsford battled the fire through the intense heat of the afternoon.

By mid-afternoon, Oshell was expecting an air-attack by water bombers to bring that blaze under control.

Oshell asked residents to be very mindful with smoking and recreational fires as conditions given the dry conditions. There has been a significant increase in the number of what he described as careless fires in the area, he said, not only since the fire ban was lifted but while it was in place.

Current fire conditions:

  • Sudbury No. 9: Reported May 21 at 3:59 p.m. near an area called Waterfall west of Highway 69, 11 hectares in size and classified as being held;
  • Sudbury No. 12: Reported at 2:33 p.m. near First Avenue in Levack, three hectares in size; status still classified as not under control;
  • Sudbury No. 13: Reported at 5 p.m. today west of Alban, 0.9 hectares in size and being held;
  • Sudbury No. 14: Reported at 6:30 p.m. north of Beaver Lake, seven hectares and not under control;
  • Sudbury No. 15: Reported at 6:29 p.m. between the Highway 6 turnoff and Webbwood, four hectares and not under control;
  • Sudbury No. 16: Reported at 6:42 p.m. on an island in Lake Panache, 0.1 hectares in size and not under control.

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