Priority fires continue to burn in Kirkland Lake area

Forest fires in and around the northeastern Ontario communities of Kirkland Lake and Timmins remain priority fires following the recent long weekend that saw 54 new blazes confirmed.

Three hundred people in the Kirkland Lake area have been evacuated.

Fire activity slowed on May 22, with 11 new fires confirmed, notes a May 23 update from Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources. Ten of the 11 new fires are in the northeast region of the province.

Fire rangers made gains on active fires. The Kirkland Lake 08 fire has burned 2,757 hectares of land, while the Timmins 09 fire has burned 21,088 hectares.

A restricted fire zone order was issued May 16. It applies to the area north of the French River, including all of French River Provincial Park, east to the Quebec border and to the western boundary of the Northeast Fire Region.

The order is meant to “reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires during a period of high fire hazard” and will remain in effect until conditions improve.

In a restricted fire zone, all burning permits are suspended and all open fires are prohibited. Ministry fire staff and conservation officers will strictly enforce the restrictions on open burning to ensure public safety.

“There is concern that continued drying, wind and warm temperatures in the northeast will cause fire behaviour to increase as the week [of May 21] progresses,” the ministry notes. “The northwest region is expected to receive substantial rain into the weekend and this will free up resources for use in the northeast.”