DRYDEN, ON — It's been an exceptionally quiet season for forest fires across Northwestern Ontario, but at a time of year when fire activity often begins to taper off, signs of a growing fire threat are emerging.
The province's Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES) branch says the wildland fire hazard is mostly high across the entire region, and areas of extreme hazard are now developing in the Nipigon district.
For the most part, maximum daily temperatures in the Thunder Bay area are expected to climb several degrees above normal from Wednesday through at least next Tuesday.
There are currently three active fires in the Northwest, including one that was discovered Saturday near Albert Mesa Provincial Park, about 55 km west of Nipigon.
It had burned 0.8 hectares and was under control as of Tuesday, according to an AFFES update.
A 0.1 hectare fire was discovered north of Thunder Bay on Tuesday afternoon.
Location details were not immediately available.
The third fire broke out Aug. 19 north of Sioux Lookout, and has burned about 80 hectares.
No resources are assigned to that fire, but it remains under observation.
