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Small wildfire reported east of Searchmont

It's one of two new fires reported in Ontario's Northeast Region on Friday
SooToday Staff
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Officials are reporting two new wildfires Friday, including one north of Sault Ste. Marie.

Sault 10 is a 0.2 hectare fire east of Searchmont. It is on an island on the northern part of Vixen Lake, around 3.6 km north of Highway 556.

The second fire is south of Sudbury almost 2 km east of Highway 69 and six kilometres north of Estaire. Two FireRanger crews and one helicopter are committed to Sudbury 30, which is 0.5 hectares in size.

Neither fire is under control.

Officials also say a fire north of Timmins saw an increase in activity late yesterday afternoon. Water bombers were called in to help suppress Timmins 16 last evening, and the fire is now being held.

Overall, there are 35 active wildland fires in Ontario’s Northeast Region: six are not under control, three are being held, four are under control and 22 are being observed.

“The fire hazard is high for much of the Northeast Region,” said Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services for the Northeast Fire Region in a news release. “There is an area of extreme fire hazard from east of Timmins to northeast through Cochrane and along the Manitoba border to the point of James Bay.”

“There is an area of moderate fire hazard around Wawa and for areas east of North Bay and the Highway 11 corridor.”

Find Friday’s full news release below:

Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services 
Northeast Fire Region 
August 23, 2024
Time of Report – 18:35

Northeast Region   

There were two new wildland fires confirmed in the Northeast Region by early evening on Friday, August 23:

  • Sudbury 30 (SUD030) is a 0.5 hectare wildland fire that was confirmed Friday evening, and it is not yet under control. This fire is located near the eastern bank of Elbow Creek, approximately 1.9 kilometres east of Highway 69 and 6 kilometres north of Estaire. There are two FireRanger crews and one helicopter committed to this fire.
  • Sault 10 (SAU010) is a 0.2 hectare wildland fire that was confirmed Friday evening, and it is not yet under control. This fire is located on an island on the northern portion of Vixen Lake, approximately 3.6 kilometre north of Highway 556.
  • Timmins 16 (TIM016) saw an increase in fire activity Thursday late afternoon; however, waterbombers assisted in suppressing the fire into the evening, effectively reducing fire intensity and resulting in an update to the fire’s status to ‘being held’ around 9 p.m.

At the time of this update, there are 35 active wildland fires in the Northeast Region: 6 are not under control, 3 are being held, 4 are under control and 22 are being observed. 

Fire of note:

  • Kirkland Lake 5 (KLK005) is located approximately 5 kilometres north of Stull Lake, 5 kilometres southeast of McKee Lake, and approximately 80 kilometres west of Latchford. This fire is 889 hectares in size and is not under control at the time of this update. FireRanger crews and helicopters with bucketing capabilities continue to work on this fire. Updated fire perimeter can be consulted on the province’s interactive map. 

The fire hazard is high for much of the Northeast Region. There is an area of extreme fire hazard from east of Timmins to northeast through Cochrane and along the Manitoba border to the point of James Bay. There is an area of moderate fire hazard around Wawa and for areas east of North Bay and the Highway 11 corridor.

For current wildland fire danger values check our interactive map.

No Drone Zone: Be safe, stay clear of forest fires!

Flying drones around forest fires is both dangerous and illegal. When you fly a drone near a forest fire, you can put the lives of pilots, firefighters and other emergency personnel at risk. Be safe, stay clear of forest fires.    

Help fight forest fires: Stay clear of waterbombers!

When waterbombers approach a body of water, move close to the shore so they can perform their scoop safely. A waterbomber will not scoop from a lake or river if encroaching watercraft pose a safety hazard. Be safe, stay clear of waterbombers.

Report a Wildland Fire

To report a wildland fire located north of the French and Mattawa rivers, please dial 310-FIRE. To report a wildland fire located south of the French or Mattawa Rivers, please dial 9-1-1.

For tips on preventing wildland fires and information on the current fire situation, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) in English and French: @ONforestfires and @ONfeudeforet. For more information about the current wildland fire situation, visit www.ontario.ca/forestfire.

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