Fire crews continue battle against wildland fires in the Northwest region

Tim Brody - Editor

UPDATE: The Restricted Fire Zone that had been in place for the Northwest Region and parts of the Northeast Region was revoked by the Ministry of Natural Resources on Aug. 20 at 12:01 a.m.

Fire crews continue their battle against wildland fires in the Northwest region.
The Ministry of Natural Resources’ Aviation Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES) shared in their Northwest Region Forest Fire Situation Update on the evening of Aug. 16, “At the time of this update there are 84 active wildland fires in the Northwest Region. Of those fires, 7 are not under control, 6 are being held, 9 are under control and 62 are being observed.”
AFFES provided the following information on fires of note:
Rinker Lake Complex - Thunder Bay 36 (THU036), Dryden 34 (DRY034), and Dryden 35 (DRY035) 
Wildland fire activity across the Complex is low with FireRanger crews finding fewer areas of smoke and minimal open flame.
FireRanger crews from Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Mexico continue suppression efforts on hotspots identified by infrared scans. This approach has proven highly effective with crews making excellent progress in extinguishing smouldering underground hotspots. Some crews are creating and maintaining helipads to support the strategic movement of personnel into areas of the Complex that still require suppression activities.
THU036 is currently measuring 301,240 hectares and remains not under control.
DRY034 is currently measuring 45,800 hectares and remains not under control.
DRY035 is currently measuring 30,201 hectares and remains not under control.
Atikokan Cluster - Fort Frances 13 (FOR013), Fort Frances 14 (FOR014), Fort Frances 15 (FOR015)
Crews continue to seek out and extinguish hotspots identified by infrared scans and demobilize equipment from areas where the fire perimeter has been contained. Helicopters are being utilized for crew and equipment movement as well as bucketing support as required.
Minimal fire behaviour was seen today due to yesterday’s precipitation.
FOR013 is currently measuring 25,313 hectares and remains being observed. 
FOR014 is currently measuring 51,768 hectares and remains not under control. 
FOR015 is currently measuring 42,273 hectares and remains not under control. 
AFFES shared in their Aug. 16 evening report that the Restricted Fire Zone implement on July 15 remains in effect for the Northwest Region and a small portion of the Northeast Region.
AFFES shared, “To report a wildland fire located north of the French and Mattawa Rivers, dial 310-FIRE (3473). To report a wildland fire located south of the French or Mattawa Rivers, dial 9-1-1.
“For tips on preventing wildland fires and information on the current fire situation, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X in English and French: @ONforestfires and @ONfeudeforet. For more information about the current wildland fire situation, visit Ontario.ca/FireUpdates.”