DRYDEN, ON — The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry anticipates that lightning strikes that occurred across a broad swath of Northwestern Ontario on Sunday will spark new forest fires in the region.
A ministry spokesperson said lightning was reported mostly in more southerly parts of the region including the Kenora, Fort Frances, Dryden and Thunder Bay sectors.
"Lightning can hold over fires in the ground for many days. As far as a week out, we might see fires emerge if things dry out a good deal. We can see fires from that lightning in the coming days," Dryden-based information officer Chris Marchand said Monday morning.
Rainfall amounts from the same weather system that brought lightning to the Northwest varied significantly, with various weather stations from the Manitoba border to the north shore of Lake Superior reporting between zero and 34 millimetres of precipitation.
There were 61 active fires in the region as of Sunday evening, according to the MNRF, including seven that were not under control, eight that were being held, seven that were under control, and 39 that were under observation.
Among three new fires discovered Sunday, two were small outbreaks in the Nipigon sector, and one was a 100-hectare blaze in a remote location northeast of Little Sachigo Lake in the Sioux Lookout sector.
Although the wildfire hazard is now low to moderate in Northwestern Ontario, the Restricted FIre Zone imposed at the beginning of June across all of Northern Ontario remains in effect until further notice.
