THUNDER BAY — Two out of three remaining forest fires burning in Northwestern Ontario after the official end of wildfire season are in Thunder Bay's vicinity, but both have been classified as under control, the Ministry of Natural Resources said on Wednesday.
The largest fire — about 75 hectares, or less than one square kilometre — is located about 70 km northeast of the city, MNR spokesman Mike Fenn said in an email.
A smaller fire also on the province's radar is located about 62 km west of Thunder Bay.
The ministry didn't immediately say where the third fire is located, but this fall, it has been monitoring a much larger fire in the remote north near the Ontario-Manitoba border.
The ministry also classified the third fire as under control.
Forest fire season officially ended on Oct. 31. It was a lighter season this year, with provincial firefighters responding to about 480 blazes compared to the 10-year average of nearly 700.
The amount of land burned was also less this season — 900 square km compared to the long-term average of just over 2,000 square km, the province said.
In an earlier backgrounder, MNR said the provincial and federal governments had earmarked $64 million combined "to mitigate and prepare for future wildland fire challenges."
"Over the course of the (2024 firefighting) season, Ontario . . . was also able to deploy equipment, 14 aircraft and more than 780 fire management personnel to support our partners in Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador and the Northwest Territories," the province said.
The Chronicle Journal / Local Journalism Initiative
