Outdoors

“Good progress” as Parry Sound 33 slows to near halt

Photo courtesy of Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services/Twitter

Updated August 8, 2018

As fire crews from all over the country and abroad continue their efforts to battle forest fires across the province, good news is emerging.

“There has been good progress with containing the fires,” Shane McCool, fire information officer for the ministry, says. “Weekend rain helped establish a nearly complete containment of the perimeter of Parry Sound 33.”

“There are also reports that residents of Henvey Inlet First Nations returning home,” McCool says. Henvey Inlet First Nations is just south of Pickerel River and the residents have been evacuated since July 21.

Once the perimeter is complete and growth has completely stopped, the MNRF will be able to update the fire status to “held.” The mapped fire area currently sits at 11,362 hectares.

Elsewhere,the Lady Evelyn fire cluster is now “being held.” At 27, 285 hectares, the MNRF reports that the fire has not grown in size for two weeks.

“With help from mother nature, we have made excellent progress and there has been no recent growth,” McCool says.

The evacuation order issued by the Municipality of Killarney for many communities near the French River still remain in effect.

There are still 116 active fires across Ontario, with only 18 of them being out of control. According to the ministry, 971 fires have occurred in Ontario so far this year, compared to the 217 of last year.

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