Northwestern Ontario forest fire activity slows as temperatures cool, precipitation rises | CBC News

Forest fire activity in northwestern Ontario is slowing down as temperatures cool and precipitation increases, a fire information officer with the province said Friday.

“In late spring and early summer, Ontario experienced an escalation in fire activity following what was actually a slower than average start to the fire season,” Alison Bezubiak of Ontario’s Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services told CBC News. “But at that time, we were seeing warmer and drier conditions. Combined with heavy and widespread lightning, that contributed to an increased fire load.”

“Fire activity has de-escalated significantly following more seasonal precipitation values and temperatures throughout July and early August, and that’s resulted in a much more manageable fire situation overall,” she said.

“Through June and July, we were seeing total fire numbers that were considerably higher than average. But now that we’re into mid August, we’re only about 50 fires over and above the 10-year average of what we’d expect to see for this date in the season.”

As of Friday afternoon, there were 36 active wildland fires in the northwest region. Of those, two were being held, eight were under control, and 26 were being observed.

None of the fires were causing any concern for public safety, Bezubiak said.

“Looking ahead into the weekend and over the next few days, we’ll be watching for fire starts from lightning that accompanied the recent weather systems that were moving across the region,” she said. “As we speak early Friday afternoon, the wildland fire hazard ranges anywhere from low to extreme across the northwest region. Around the city of Thunder Bay specifically, we’re seeing a moderate hazard and a low to moderate hazard throughout the remainder of the sector.”

But Bezubiak said the province is ready if fire activity escalates again.

“We are ready to respond,” she said. “We have the resources available to action our current existing fires and any fires, the new fires, that do start over the next little while.”