Residents of about 20 homes near Temagami, Ont., are being forced to flee due to a nearby forest fire, provincial police say. #MNR Water Bombers working on an active fire south of #Temagami today. Some areas were evacuated for #PublicSafety. Please stay clear and consider alternate routes through the area. ^sh pic.twitter.com/CJuBz8EvqW —@OPP_NER The OPP say members of its Temiskaming detachment assisted the province's Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry in implementing the mandatory evacuation order. It affects residents living between Finlayson Point Provincial Park Road and Jessie Lake. Police say there is a "dangerously close, active forest fire" in the area, and those affected have been asked to travel north on Highway 11, away from the flames. Other residents in the area have been placed on alert, meaning they could be asked to leave if conditions worsen. Residents of the Town of Temagami, about 90 km northwest of North Bay, are on a voluntary evacuation notice.<doc-sep>Over 700 forest fires have been ignited in Ontario so far this year, compared to just 172 during all of 2017. Crews continue to play their own version of whack-a-mole with the blazes, particularly across the northeast region. As numerous fires in the Temagami and North Bay areas have come under control, new ones have popped up in the Cochrane district. Of note, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says crews are still working to control Cochrane 14, which measured around 400 hectares as of Thursday morning. That fire is located near Tomorrow and Yesterday Lakes, which are about 100 km northwest of Cochrane. "Where it had been previously quiet, the Cochrane sector now has 12 active forest fires," stated the MNRF. "Five are being observed to allow the natural benefits of fire on the landscape, there are no values threatened in the area of these fires." This aerial photo of forest fire North Bay 72 — an 11,500-hectare blaze crews continue to battle in Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park — was captured by Damon Hibbard of Ontario's Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services. (Damon Hibbard/Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry) In total, there are still 66 fires burning in the northeast, with around 28 not under control. More resources were called in to help Thursday, including an eight-person fire crew from Wisconsin, and extra staff from Newfoundland and Saskatchewan. The average annual number of forest fires in Ontario over the past 10 years is 435. Dry with no relief The very high numbers of fires so far in 2018 is attributable to a hot, dry summer, says Shayne McCool of the MNRF, combined with scattered storms which have brought a steady stream of lightning strikes. Over 130,000 hectares of forest have been burned this year already. Last year's 172 fires scorched about 63,000 hectares. "A lot of years we have fires in the far north we allow to burn for ecological purposes," explained McCool. "Those fires tend to chew up a lot of those hectares burned. But this year, we only have three of them right now in the far north that are being allowed to burn, and they're not overly large either [...] so it gives you some indication." Optimistic outlook for parks While many provincial parks continue to uphold fire bans for campers, seven parks around Temagami remain closed. They are Marten River, Finlayson Point, Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater, Obabika River, Sturgeon River, Makobe-Grays and Solace Provincial Parks. Kevin Pinkerton is the superintendent for provincial parks in the Temagami area. (Supplied/Kevin Pinkerton) That has put a big dent for small businesses in the area that rely heavily on a normally consistent stream of seasonal tourists and campers. With fires that threatened Temagami earlier this month no longer a concern, the region's park superintendent, Kevin Pinkerton, says he's optimistic two of the most popular ones — Marten River and Finlayson Point — will be re-opened shortly. "I want to be very confident before we invite folks back to Temagami that their safety is assured and we're not putting anybody at risk," says Pinkerton. "Optimistically, all I can say is it should be soon, but the landscape in Temagami is very dry right now, it's one of the higher points in Ontario and it is susceptible to lightning strikes." The story is different at Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater, he said, where crews continue to battle a 11,500-hectare fire (North Bay 72) that was started by lightning on July 8.<doc-sep>A massive swath of the province outside of North Bay continues to burn after lightning from storms triggered fires that are raging out of control due to high winds. At least 3,000 hectares are in flames in the North Bay district, which stretches from north of North Bay to Temagami. Further to the north, another 12,000 hectares are burning in Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park. Numerous other fires are being held or brought under control while still others, in less populated areas, are being monitored — part of a trend in the province that already has seen 537 fires this year, compared to the 10-year annual average (360). “On a day like today, where there’s a lot of sun, those fires not under control are expected to grow,” says Shayne McCool, a spokesperson with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. A change of wind direction, from north to south on Tuesday, meant the smoke was likely visible to the residents of North Bay, he says. About 20 residences in Temagami have been evacuated because of a 100-hectare fire and the town, which is about 90 kilometres northwest of North Bay, is on a voluntary evacuation notice. Fire rangers set up sprinkler systems to protect structures in the Temagami marina. Police say there is a “dangerously close, active forest fire” in the area, according to The Canadian Press, and residents have been asked to drive north on Highway 11 to escape the flames. The northeast has seen an increased number of forest fires this year. As of Tuesday morning, there were 69 active fires across that part of the province and 27 were not yet under control. Another nine were being held and the remainder were either under control or being observed. More fires were confirmed Tuesday morning after Monday’s thunderstorms and the ministry said in a news release it expected to find several more. The “risk (of fire) is huge, because of the lack of precipitation that we’ve seen and the high amount of heat,” McCool says. About 400 firefighters from Ontario are working in the area. A relief crew of 85 firefighters from Alberta and British Columbia arrived Tuesday. On Monday and Tuesday, water bombers were used to suppress the fires so crews could go in on the ground and surround areas with fire hoses, soaking the perimeter so the flames could only move inwards. Planes called Fire Boss amphibians were also used; they can scoop up water from lakes and rivers, and were on loan from Alberta and Saskatchewan. The ministry of natural resources and forestry has restricted open fires in a large area from French River north to Timmins and from Sault Ste. Marie to the Quebec border. The ministry is allowing gas-powered stoves for cooking and heat, but McCool says they should be used with extreme caution. If anyone is caught breaking the ban they could be subject to fines of up to $25,000 and three months in jail. The ministry investigates fires to determine the cause and McCool says they can litigate to recover firefighting costs. The Muskoka and Kawartha areas are also at an extreme risk of forest fire, according to a ministry rating, and there are a number of much smaller fires burning in those areas, some set off by lightning but others caused by people. Two crews are working on a 12-hectare fire near Parry Sound. Meanwhile, there are thousands of hectares of forest on fire in the northwest part of the province. About 3,500 hectares are burning 19 kilometres away from the First Nations community of Nibinamik, which is also called Summer Beaver, but the fire is moving away from the community, says Chris Marchand, a spokesperson for the natural resources ministry’s northwest region. Another fire, 10 kilometres from Summer Beaver, is also moving away from the community. They were ignited by lightning strikes Sunday and Monday. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... There are also tens of thousands of hectares on fire near the Manitoba border, where some fires have been burning for a month. Crews are monitoring the situation, but the area is mostly unpopulated and some of the fires will be allowed to burn out. By comparison, Manitoba has had 316 fires so far this year, 38 of them still active. That’s up from 2017 numbers when 50 fires were reported in the first six months of the year. Data enterprise reporter Patty Winsa talks about the Star initiative to report on wildfires across Canada and the surprising statistics for Ontario residents. Saskatchewan has had 355 fires, 28 of them still burning over the same time period. Alberta’s fire control is divided with much of the north and a swath of the western portion of the province deemed forest protection area. Smaller areas of the province are managed by municipal fire protection. The forest protection region had 905 fires up to July 8, up from their 2017 numbers for the same period, 725 fires. B.C. had 605 fires between April 1 and July 9.<doc-sep>
A forest fire has put people around the northeastern Ontario community of Temagami on evacuation alert, with residents being told to be ready to leave at a moment's notice. The fire that was sparked by a lightning strike Sunday southwest of the town has already seen the forced evacuation of 20 homes in Temagami Shores, about 100 kilometres north of North Bay. An evacuation of nearby provincial parks, including of Finlayson Point and Marten River, has also occurred. Dan O'Mara, acting mayor of Temagami, said the town has declared a state of emergency and has opened the arena in Temagami North for anyone who needs a place to stay. People don't know what to expect, he said Monday morning. "I think one of the issues last night was there was a fair amount of kind of a white, smoky haze in the community," he said. "And some of the seniors, we were concerned about. And we had people out just checking in and making sure that everybody was fine." Kim Krech says she's trying to stay positive and hopes the winds don't change direction anytime soon. (Mathieu Gregoire/Radio-Canada) Kim Krech, co-owner of Temagami Marine on Inlet Bay, said a fire broke out Sunday about two kilometres from the business. "Right now we are in an evacuation. We are not supposed to be here but I have to look out for my livelihood." She said the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry set up sprinklers on all their buildings and fire crews from Temagami and Cobalt were wetting the property around it. "I'm very scared by I'm trying to stay calm," says Krech. "Not just our livelihood but those who work for us. It is a big part of Temagami." Daniel Thompson, who owns Gramp's Place, a bait and tackle shop along Highway 11 south of Temagami, said "most people booted it for home yesterday." "Since they were camping in the area, a lot of people left." Marten River and Finlayson Point provincial parks were both evacuated Sunday. 'So smoky in front of my house' Smoke from the fire is visible at Mowatt Landing Cottages, north of Temagami. Owner Trevor Graydon has offered his cottages to people leaving from any active fires in the area. "It is so smoky in front of my house, and I'm 30 kilometres from the fire," he said. ​The OPP and nearby local fire departments have been working with the ministry to beat back the fire. "The situation with the fire itself looked good [Sunday] night," said O'Mara. "The concern this morning is the wind and to try and maintain that. I guess there is a concern that depending on which way the wind's blowing [it] could add other issues this morning." Residents of Temagami could be asked to leave if conditions worsen, the OPP said. The ministry says the fire, started by a lightning strike, is now approximately 25 hectares in size. Highway 11 is open, but provincial police are asking people to avoid the area because of smoke. They say the highway could close at any point if visibility becomes an issue.