A late spring has spelled a much quieter forest fire season in the northwest region.
There have been 31 blazes since April 1, with the provincial total at 127.
The flames have burned less than 20 hectares, which is good news, according to Acting Information Officer Véronique Filion.
“We had zero fires until April 28,” says Filion. “We also had long-lasting snow cover and a good amount of rainfall. Every other day there’s a lot of rain, so cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity haven’t really allowed us for any lasting rebound to the fire hazard or the possibility to have lightning fires.”
Filion says 724 fires were reported in 2021, with the 10-year average sitting at 457.
That calculates to a 72 per cent decrease from the historical average.
As of Tuesday, there are six active fires, with three not under control.
The Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services reported five new starts, the most one-day activity since the start of the forest fire season in April.
Two were in the Thunder Bay area, two others were north of Greenstone, and the other was at Sakwaso Lake, midway between Sandy Lake and Wegamow First Nations.
The wildland fire hazard is mainly low to moderate throughout the region. Some areas of Nipigon, Sioux Lookout and Thunder Bay are seeing a high fire hazard.
