More than 60 fires are burning in northern and northeastern Ontario
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Ontario growers could be impacted by a series of fires burning across the province.
About 63 forest fires were burning as of Sunday afternoon, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry said in a release. About 35 of the fires are either being held, meaning they are out but still smouldering, or observed, meaning they are not receiving any suppression.
The fires stretch from Bancroft, Ont. to Cochrane, Ont. They range in size from 4.3 acres in Bancroft to the largest fire in North Bay, which covers more than 68,000 acres.
In total, 775 fires have burned more than 447,000 acres in Ontario this year, Isabelle Chenard, a fire information officer for the ministry, told CBC yesterday.
Even if farmers have not been directly affected, they should be aware of the weather and news around them, said Mark Kunkel, a northern Ontario director with the OFA.
“I haven’t heard anything directly related to farming in this area yet,” he told Farms.com today. “There is smoke coming from these forest fires that are affecting the communities. Some have had to evacuate and there could be more evacuation notices coming.”
Some residents outside of evacuation zones are offering to help farmers who need to move livestock.
Renee Germain, who lives in Warren, Ont., between Sudbury and North Bay, is one of those residents. She hopes others will follow her lead.
“We’re hoping that we can help other farms, or other homes (and) save a few animals,” she told CBC yesterday. “If we can help other people who are impacted, I really hope that people out here follow suit.”
Firefighters from other provinces, the United States and Mexico are offering assistance to the Ontario fire crews.
Farms.com has reached out to other OFA directors for comment on the forest fire situations in their areas.
A forest fire burns near Bissett Creek, Ont.
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry photo.