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Fire crews in Northwest Ontario are battling a growing number of wildfires as dry conditions continue to fuel fire activity across the region.
As of Tuesday evening, five new wildfires were confirmed, bringing the total number of active fires in the Northwest Region to 12. Of those, four are not under control, three are being held, and five are under control.
Among the new fires:
- Thunder Bay 13 was reported in Silver Falls Provincial Park near Dog Lake.
- Nipigon 3 and 4 were both confirmed near Longlac.
- Red Lake 9 and 10, both near Pikangikum First Nation, have since been declared out.
The most concerning fire remains Kenora 20, which has now grown to 32,014 hectares. It remains out of control, with the most active fire behaviour observed on its western flank near the Ontario–Manitoba border. Crews are continuing to work inward from the eastern perimeter, supported by bucketing helicopters and infrared scanning to identify hotspots.
Other fires of note include:
- Kenora 14, which is being held at 1,607 hectares.
- Fort Frances 4, also being held at 3,593 hectares.
- Sioux Lookout 3, which remains out of control at 1,849 hectares.
A Restricted Fire Zone remains in effect across much of the region, along with multiple travel and access bans. Evacuation orders are still in place for areas near Kenora 20 and Sioux Lookout 3.
The wildfire hazard remains high to extreme across the Northwest, and officials are urging the public to avoid open-air burning and report any new fire activity immediately.
