Active Wildfires continue to spread through northwestern Ontario. May 8,2025. Image: Ontario Forest Fires Facebook page
The Ministry of Natural Resources is reporting 15 active forest fires in the northwest region.
Of those fires, nine are out of control, one is being observed, and one is being held, the rest are under control.
Seven new fires were confirmed by the end of Wednesday, and four fires were called out.
The new fires include:
- Kenora 24 (KEN024) – was located near McKenzie Portage Road, approximately 1.6 kilometres southwest of Keewatin
- The fire was called out at 0.1 hectares in size
- Kenora 25 (KEN025) – is located on the south side of Woodchuck Bay on Lake of the Woods, approximately 3.9 kilometres southwest of Clearwater Bay
- The 0.5-hectare fire is not under control
- Kenora 26 (KEN026) – is located approximately 2.3 kilometres east of Highway 671 between East Lake and Sleigh Lake
- The 0.1-hectare fire is not under control
- Red Lake 5 (RED005) – is located approximately 4.5 kilometres north of Pahkayyahkahmahk/Silcox Lake, and 39.0 kilometres east of Pikangikum First Nation.
- The 0.3-hectare fire is not under control
- Red Lake 6 (RED006) – is located approximately 1.8 kilometres northeast of Murfitt Lake and 7.2 kilometres southwest of Pahkayyahkahmahk/Silcox Lake
- The 0.1-hectare fire is under control
- Dryden 6 (DRY006) – is located approximately 3.0 kilometres south of Coates Bay in Gullwing Lake, at the north end of Lola Lake Provincial Park
- The 0.1-hectare fire is not under control
- Fort Frances 5 (FOR005)was located approximately 0.6 kilometres east of the Highway 11 and Highway 623 junction
- The 0.1-hectare fire is now out
The fire hazard remains high to extreme across much of the region, and a Restricted Fire Zone has been put in place west of Thunder Bay.
