Govind Tekale
Wildfire activity across Canada presents a tale of two regions this weekend, with Northwestern Ontario seeing reduced activity while New Brunswick faces rapidly growing blazes that have forced evacuations.
Northwestern Ontario recorded just one new wildfire by Thursday evening, showing a clear slowdown from the busy fire week that gripped the region. The single new blaze brings the total active fires to 59 across the area. Seven fires remain out of control while nine others are now under control. Fire crews are keeping watch on 46 additional fires that don’t pose immediate threats.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick is dealing with escalating fire emergencies. A new forest fire erupted near Moncton on Sunday afternoon in the Irishtown area close to MacArthur Lane. The out-of-control blaze has grown to approximately 30 hectares with heavy smoke blanketing the area. Firefighters from Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview are working alongside the Department of Natural Resources, while water bombers are making repeated drops on the flames.
Thursday night brought welcome rainfall to Northwestern Ontario. The precipitation helped lower the wildland fire hazard from dangerous levels to a range between low and moderate risk. Some areas still face high risk conditions, meaning fire crews must stay alert for potential flare-ups.
The situation in New Brunswick’s Miramichi area has become particularly concerning. The Old Field Road fire has exploded in size, now covering 340 hectares after growing by 100 hectares since Saturday. This rapidly expanding blaze has already forced the evacuation of one home and three cottages Saturday night. Another 15 homes have received evacuation notices as the fire continues moving in their direction. The fire has jumped Highway 8, burning about 20 hectares beyond the road.
The Red Lake 99 fire continues to dominate headlines in Northwestern Ontario as the region’s most challenging blaze. This massive fire has grown dramatically over recent days after joining with the Red Lake 72 fire. The merged fire now covers more than 30,000 hectares of forest land, making it one of the largest active fires burning in Ontario right now.
New Brunswick has implemented strict fire prevention measures across the entire province. A complete burn ban is now in effect with nearly a dozen active fires burning. All activities in the woods are prohibited on Crown lands. In Saint John, officials are closing all walking and biking trails at Rockwood Park, Tucker Park and Little River Reservoir starting at 12:01 a.m. Monday.
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Smoke remains a major health concern for people living across much of northwestern Ontario. The haze isn’t just coming from local fires. Smoke from prairie fires is drifting into the region, creating unhealthy air conditions. An air quality statement covers a large stretch of land from just north of Dryden extending west to Fort Hope. Conditions are even worse along the Manitoba border where an air quality warning is active.
A third fire near Canterbury in New Brunswick is also out of control, measuring five hectares in size and currently 15 percent contained. Police are asking people to stay away from all active fire zones in both provinces for safety reasons and to allow emergency crews to work without interference.
Earlier this week, the Sioux Lookout area in Ontario saw intense firefighting action. Multiple new fires sparked near the community, with crews using CL-415 waterbombers to attack several blazes, including fires measuring 25 hectares, 5 hectares, and a larger 150-hectare fire.
Fire crews across both provinces continue using aircraft and ground teams to fight priority blazes. The strategy focuses on protecting communities and containing fires that pose the biggest risks. Weather patterns will determine how fires behave in the coming days, with dry conditions potentially turning manageable fires into dangerous threats within hours.
People should report any new fires they spot by calling 310-FIRE in northern Ontario or 911 in other areas. Anyone planning outdoor activities should check current fire restrictions first. Flying drones near active fires is banned because it forces firefighting aircraft to land, stopping suppression work that could save lives and property.
