You can once again have a campfire.
A Restricted Fire Zone that was in place for much of the northwest region was lifted at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday morning.
The town of Fort Frances has also lifted a ban on open fires it had within the municipality.
You are still asked to be cautious and follow all outdoor burning rules that remain in effect in Ontario until the end of the fire season (October 31).
The RFZ was first put in place on June 30 as raging forest fires burned across most of the region in what’s being called one of the worst fire seasons to date.
As of August 16, the number of fires was already approaching double last year’s total of 563 with 1,096.
Recent rain and cooler temperatures have eased conditions and behaviour.
Now, the fire hazard is mainly low, with a few areas of moderate hazard scattered across the region.
As of Tuesday (August 31), there are 79 active fires in the northwest region, with six fires considered not under control.
(With Files From Mike Ebbeling/CKDR and Vasilios Bellos/99.9 The Bay)
