Unprecedented.
That’s how the forest fire season in the northeast is being described this year.
North Bay Fire Management Superviser James Zacher spoke to BayToday at a community barbecue last week, that was held to thank forest fire crews with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
“Unprecedented would be a good word for the amount of fires that started so quickly the week or two after the Canada Day long weekend, but as well, the size of the fires,” he says. “They grew quite large, quite quickly.”
Zacher says it took a real team effort across the ministry, municipal emergency and fire services, OPP and others to ensure people stayed safe, especially when there were evacuations.
“The biggest and the most trying times were when those fires were getting close to the communities and having to evacuate such a large number of people, all within a couple of days,” he says.

As of Monday afternoon there are still five active forest fires in the region.

All five fires are under control or being observed.
One Life Wealth Management held a series of barbecues this summer thanking various community services teams.
Over 20 North Bay fire rangers were at last week’s final barbecue of the summer.

 

(photo Chris Dawson BayToday)

Filed under: forest-fires