As of this morning, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry reports there are still 47 active forest fires across the northeast. Of these, 11 are listed as out of control, with 36 either being held, under control or being observed.
Compounding the challenge for the hundreds of firefighters on the ground, there were four new fires confirmed Aug. 9, though two of those have already been extinguished. Of the other two, which are fairly small, Cochrane 39 is out of control at 0.1 hectares, while Wawa 12 is under control. It is also around 0.1 hectares in size.
Parry Sound 33, which burned out of control for three weeks, is now listed as being held, which means firefighters are keeping the fire from growing beyond the 11,362 hectares at which it’s been measured.
Crews are making progress in the interior of the fire, including “deep-seeded ground fire on the northeast flank. Sprinklers that were protecting properties along the Pickerel River and outlying areas have been removed as the sections aren’t at risk of fire.
However, evacuation orders remain in place for parts of the Municipality of Killarney, including Travers, Allen, Struthers, Kilpatrick, Bigwood (including Hartley Bay Road), a portion of Mowat, the Unsurveyed area, 14 Mile Island and French River Provincial Park.
The evacuation alert issued by the Municipality of French River for residents in the Alban area, west of the high powered hydro lines on Highway 64 is still in effect.
There remain 469 firefighters and support staff from across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico in Ontario battling the fires.
The MNRF reminds the public that all travel and use of the Pickerel River (west of Hwy. 69 to Bear Island) and Key River (west of Hwy. 69 to Georgian Bay), including all access from Georgian Bay on those water ways entering the fire perimeter or adjacent to it on its northern boundary, is prohibited from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. unless authorized by travel permit issued by Parry Sound District or Sudbury District Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF).
All road access west of Hwy. 69 south of Pickerel River in Mowat Township and the unsurveyed lands to the southern border of Henvey Inlet 2 Indian Reserve is prohibited unless authorized by travel permit issued by Parry Sound District or Sudbury District Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF).
FireRanger and Coastal Ranger crews are responding to five fires in the far north in proximity to the Fort Severn community. There are an additional 5 fires further from the community that are being observed to allow the ecological benefits of fire to occur.
