THUNDER BAY — A fire ban affecting the city of Thunder Bay will be lifted as of Tuesday evening, the city’s fire service has announced.
Thunder Bay Fire Rescue will lift the local fire ban at 4 p.m., it stated, while all recreational fire permits will be reinstated for burning starting at 5 p.m.
The fire service said lifting the ban is consistent with provincial guidance, stating the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNRF) will also lift its Restricted Fire Zone declaration at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
“We got an email from [the ministry] that they were going to be lifting their Restricted Fire Zone at 4 p.m. today," said acting division chief for fire prevention Kevin Anderson. "We just follow suit with them, we want to support them.”
In an interview Tuesday afternoon, the MNRF confirmed it would be lifting its Restricted Fire Zone across Northern Ontario at 4 p.m.
"We've seen some meaningful rainfall in the region and we've seen a lot of really positive turnover in the fires that we have on the landscape," said Chris Marchand, a Dryden-based fire information officer with Ontario's Aviation, Forest Fires and Emergency Services.
"Certainly this doesn't mean we should be let our guard down when it comes to preventing human-caused fires, which really can account for a large [portion] of our, of our workload," he added. "We all need to remain vigilant and keep safety top of mind when having outdoor fires going forward."
The local fire ban was first issued by TBFR on June 1 amid elevated wildfire risk for the region, a day after the MNRF moved to restrict outdoor burning across Northern Ontario.
Municipalities are not bound by the provincial fire restrictions, but typically follow the province’s lead in implementing local bans.
The provincial Restricted Fire Zone had remained in place in Northwestern Ontario through periods of significant precipitation, and low to moderate wildfire hazard levels in the southern portion of the region.
Thunder Bay Fire Rescue reminds residents that permits are required for outdoor burning.
More information is available at the city’s website or by calling 807-625-2103.
This story has been updated with information received from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry after publication.
