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SIOUX LOOKOUT, Ont. -- The number of forest fires in Northwestern Ontario continues to climb, despite rainy weather touching down in some areas of the region.
The Aviation Forest Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday confirmed four new fires, one in the Sioux Lookout area, two in Thunder Bay District and one near Dryden.
The organization also announced eight additional fires had been discovered since their previous update, including two in Sioux Lookout, three in NIpigon, one in the Kenora area and two in the Red Lake district.
The largest of the new fires is Nipigon 24, an 824.6-hectare fire located along the Attawapiskat River, at the northern edge of Otoskwin-Attawapiskat Provincial Park.
Sioux Lookout 53 is just 0.1 hectares in size, but is just 6.1 kilometres east of Bearskin Lake along the shore of the Severn River.
Sioux Lookout 33 remains the largest of the known wildifires in Northwestern Ontario, at 41,548 hectares in size. It remains not under control, according to AFFES, and is located at the western edge of Wabakimi Provincial Park.
According to AFFES, there are 44 active forest fires in the Northwest Region, 12 of which are not under control, four of which are being held and five which are under control. The remaining 23 fires are being observed.
