Restricted Fire Zone Lifted

The province has lifted the restricted fire zone for most of Northeastern Ontario.

Further information is included in the following news release issued today by the MNR:

Ontario is lifting the Restricted Fire Zone for all areas except Zone 17 which covers most of the Wawa district and includes Caramat, Hornepayne, Wawa, White River and Manitouwadge.

Effective at midnight last night, the restrictions on open-air burning in most areas were lifted. The public is being advised to contact local Ministry of Natural Resources offices for specific boundaries for areas no longer under the Restricted Fire Zone. People should also check with their local municipality before lighting any fires to ensure there are no locally imposed fire bans.

The public is still urged to use extreme caution and care with campfires in the areas where the Restricted Fire Zone has been lifted.

The East Fire Region recorded over 25,000 lightning strikes over the last couple of days. Conditions are forecast to dry out over the weekend and the forest fire situation is expected to escalate again – primarily in the Wawa area where the Restricted Fire Zone remains in effect.

The Restricted Fire Zone was implemented on July 14 to reduce the occurrence of forest fires caused by human activity during a period of hot, dry weather and escalated forest fire activity. The Ministry of Natural Resources thanks the public for its co-operation and ongoing support in helping reduce the number of new forest fires.