Parts of northeastern Ontario on evacuation notice as wildfires spread

“There’s high temperatures, dry conditions and a lot of thunderstorms,” she said, making ideal conditions for the start and spread of fires.

“The risk of wildland fires across most of northern Ontario is high and it’s especially challenging in the northeast right now because there are so many fires.”

Ontario Parks also evacuated two provincial parks, Finlayson Point and Marten River, “due to the significant risk from nearby forest fire activity.”

Neary 450 campers have gotten out safely, an Ontario Parks spokeswoman said. The parks will remain closed for the time being.

Jolanta said the ministry will be getting reinforcements from other provinces to join the 400 firefighters currently working the northeast quadrant of the province.

Numerous water bombers are operating during daylight hours in an effort to stop or control the spread of the fires, she said.

It has been a bad year for forest fires in Ontario with 504 recorded to date compared to 143 this time last year, according to the ministry’s data.

The area burned is up significantly as well, with 61,000 hectares damaged due to fire compared to 42,000 hectares last year, Kowalski said.

In Temagami, tensions are high, said Brian Koski, a local councillor and the head of the municipality’s emergency management committee.

“It’s very close to the town,” Koski said.

Smoke blanketed the area on Sunday, which led to one resident suffering an asthma attack, Koski said, but no one else has been injured.

There are several larger fires to the south of the town, he said. And small blazes are popping up and spreading quickly.

Koski spent part of Sunday driving around and helping residents clear out when he stopped by Karol Lake.

“There was not even a puff of smoke,” he said. “By 2 p.m. there was a puff of smoke. And by 4 p.m. it was a raging fire.”

Liam Casey, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Parts of northeastern Ontario on evacuation notice as wildfires spread

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