Updated July 21 at 7:50 p.m.
The Municipality of Killarney is under a state of emergency. Deputy Mayor Nancy Wirtz first signed the declaration July 20, with an emergency area of the geographic area bounded by the Key and Pickerel Rivers and Highway 69.
The state of emergency was updated Saturday afternoon at 5:20 p.m. for the following emergency area — from Georgian Bay east to Highway 69, including French River, Pickerel River, and Hartley Bay Road. All boat access properties on French and Pickerel Rivers are on a mandatory evacuation. Road access properties along Hartley Bay Road are on a 12-hour evacuation notice.
Original story:
The huge Parry Sound 33 fire in the Key River/French River area is now 4,841 hectares in size, and is still not under control.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is also recommending more mandatory evacuations, as well as evacuation alerts.
The fire situation update issued by the province's Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services division at around midnight last night said the fire was 1,900 hectares in size at that time, meaning its size has more than doubled in less than a day.
This fire was discovered July 18 and has since received a significant amount of aerial fire suppression over the last three days, with CL415 waterbombers overhead from early afternoon, well into the evening, said the latest fire situation update, issued at 4:46 p.m. Saturday.
A heavy helicopter is overhead also bucketing water and coordinating efforts with seven fire crews on the ground.
Fire crews have been actively working to suppress this fire and values protection (sprinklers on structures) has been ongoing.
The current forecast includes potential wind gusts of 30-40 km/hr and active fire behaviour of Parry Sound 33.
Winds which had previously been out of the southwest, were causing the fire to spread in a northeasterly direction. The winds are now more easterly, which will cause the fire to spread in a more westerly direction throughout the day.
As a result, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s Parry Sound district has recommended that the communities, municipalities and townships within the area below impose a mandatory evacuation of their residents with boat access only:
- All areas ranging from the western and northern borders of French River Provincial Park, east to Highway 69, and as far south as the south shore of the Key River; including all residents and members of the public on both the north and south shores of the French River, and the Pickerel River, as well as Hartley Bay.
- There is also a recommendation by the MNRF Parry Sound district to impose an evacuation alert to all residents within this area who have road access to their residences or cottages. These residents should be prepared to evacuate pending a change of the fire situation.
- In addition, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s Sudbury district has recommended that all residents along Hartley Bay Road be placed on an evacuation alert, pending changes to the fire situation.
The OPP and Conservation Officers are currently onsite helping notify the public of the situation, and facilitating this evacuation.
Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services has also been advised by Ontario Parks that they have suspended permit sales for the French River Delta and Pickerel River areas and are restricting entry to any park users (everything West of highway 69/400).
They have established a dedicated phone line for park users to contact for information (705-857-1630 ext 224)
Currently closed campsites include 930 on the Key River, and sites 910, 911 and 912 on the southern portion of the Pickerel River north of Dokis Island.
The situation is developing and more information will be released as it becomes available.
For information about the fire situation, call 705-564-6165.
For inquiries about French River Provincial Park restrictions: 705-857-1630 ext 224
For Parry Sound District information, including all calls related to the recommendation of these evacuations and alerts, call 705-774-4218.
Smoke concerns:
Parry Sound 33 continues to create a significant amount of smoke along Hwy 69, south of Grundy Lake Provincial Park. Aerial fire suppression and ground crews are on site. It is expected that this 4,841 hectare fire will continue to create smoke in the days to come.
Many Ontario residents have reported smoke drift in their communities. Smoky conditions are expected to continue when fires are active, until weather patterns change.
For more information, visit Ontario.ca/forestfire.
