Lake Abitibi-area fire being held

Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services 
Northeast Fire Region 
July 11, 2023
Time of Report – 18:22

Northeast Region    

There are currently 31 active wildland fires in the Northeast Region. Of these, 1 is not under control, 1 are being held, 9 fires are under control and 20 are being observed.

There were no new fires confirmed in the region today.

The fire hazard is varies from low to high throughout the majority of the Northeast Region. Areas of Bancroft and Renfrew are showing an extreme hazard. For a closer look at fire hazard conditions in your area, view our interactive map.

Fires of note:

• Cochrane 7 was confirmed on June 2. It is a 37,742 hectare wildland fire is located northeast of Lake Abitibi. Ontario FireRanger Crews and a 20 person crew of forest firefighters from Mexico are dedicated to this fire with overhead support from helicopters. The fire’s status has now been changed to ‘being held’.

• Cochrane 11 was confirmed on June 17. It’s estimated at 805 hectares and is located approximately 5 km west of the community of Fort Albany and south of Big Island. FireRanger crews and a 20 person crew of forest firefighters from Mexico are making good progress on fire suppression. The fire is under control.

• Chapleau 3 was confirmed on June 1. It is a 3,916 hectare wildland fire located 2 kilometres south of October Lake and 2.5 kilometres west of Vichaw Lake. It is under control.
• Chapleau 6 was confirmed on June 4. It is a 1,228 hectare wildland fire located 2.5 kilometres west of Morin Lake and 1 kilometre east of Bolkow Lake. It is under control.

Restricted Fire Zone has been lifted

The Restricted Fire Zone previously in place for the entire Fire Region of Ontario has been lifted, effective Tuesday, July 11, at 16:00 hrs.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry would like to thank Ontarians and visitors for doing their part to help prevent forest fires and keep communities safe. Please continue to use extreme caution and follow Ontario’s Outdoor Fires Regulations when having an outdoor fire.

Restricted Fire Zone decisions consider a number of factors including daily weather and fire conditions, as well as forecasted weather trends over longer periods of time and potential drying conditions and precipitation.  We also consider the number of wildland fires that are burning, and the number of resources required to manage both current and potential wildland fires.

Lifting the RFZ does not mean we can let our guard down when it comes to preventing human-caused fires. We all need to remain vigilant and keep safety top of mind when having outdoor fires.

Despite some rain or showers in parts of Ontario, some areas remain dry. It is important to remember that the overall fire danger can change rapidly based on the daily weather resulting in low to moderate fire danger one day, followed by high to extreme hazard the next simply based on the surface forest fuels drying out quickly, leading to fires starting easily and higher rates of fire spread under the right burning conditions.   

The province will continue to assess forest fire hazard conditions and an RFZ designation may be reinstated in higher risk areas if the fire hazard and fire activity warrants.  

An MNRF Restricted Fire Zone and a municipal fire ban can be in place at the same time, or separately. It is important that the public check with their local municipality as they may have local fire bans or fire restrictions in place.

Stay alert and be informed of the fire hazard near you on the public forest fire information map at Ontario.ca/forestfire. You can also follow us on Twitter: @ONforestfires for up-to-date information on the fire situation.

Implementation Orders

UPDATE EFFECTIVE 0700 MONDAY JULY 10: Due to a decrease in fire behaviour and the effectiveness of fire suppression activities on Cochrane 7 over the past week, the MNRF’s Hearst-Cochrane-Kapuskasing District will be reopening access on the Translimit Road between Cochrane and Quebec to traffic. Closure of the Crossover and Eades Roads, along with township restrictions covering the area of the Cochrane 7 fire remain in place as fire suppression activities continue. Specific restrictions are outlined below.

Travel, use, and access Restrictions in the Northeast Region – MNRF Hearst-Cochrane-Kapuskasing District (COC006 and COC007 fires):

Under the Emergency Area Order (EAO 2023-03) effective June 5, 2023, the MNRF, Hearst-Cochrane-Kapuskasing District has imposed a new Implementation Order to protect public safety and to facilitate effective fire suppression. The following restrictions listed below and as outlined on the Implementation Order will be in effect as of 0700 Monday, July 10, 2023 - until further notice.

Unless authorized by a travel permit:

1. All use and occupation of Crown Land and roads within Steele Township as outlined on the attached implementation order map within the EAO, is prohibited.
2. All use and occupation of Crown Land and roads (excluding La Reine Road and Translimit Road) within Sargeant Township, north of the La Reine Road, as outlined on the attached implementation order map within the EAO, is prohibited.
3. All use and occupation of Crown Land and roads within Bonis Township, as outlined on the attached implementation order map within the EAO, is prohibited.
4. All use and occupation of Crown Land and roads within Scapa Township (excluding Translimit Road), as outlined on the attached implementation order map within the EAO is prohibited.
5. All use and occupation of Crown Land and roads within Berry Township, as outlined on the attached implementation order map within the EAO, is prohibited.
6. All use and occupation of Crown Land and roads within Hepburn Township, (excluding Translimit Road), as outlined on the attached implementation order map within the EAO, is prohibited.
7. All use and occupation of Crown Land and roads (excluding Translimit Road) within Case Township, south of the Translimit Road, as outlined on the attached implementation order map within the EAO, is prohibited.
8. All use and occupation of Crown Land and roads (excluding Kabika Road and Translimit Road) within Abbotsford Township, as outlined on the attached implementation order map within the EAO, is prohibited.
9. All use and occupation of Crown Land and roads within Adair Township, as outlined on the attached implementation order map within the EAO, is prohibited.

For more information on these restrictions, see the Implementation Order Map. If you have any questions or require travel permits, please contact the Hearst-Cochrane-Kapuskasing District office at 705-272-7178 or by email [email protected]

Help fight forest fires: Stay clear of waterbombers

When waterbombers approach a body of water, move close to the shore so they can perform their scoop safely. A waterbomber will not scoop from a lake or river if encroaching watercraft pose a safety hazard. Be safe, stay clear of waterbombers.

No Drone Zone: Be safe, stay clear of forest fires

Flying drones around forest fires is both dangerous and illegal. When you fly a drone near a forest fire, you can put the lives of pilots, firefighters and other emergency personnel at risk. Be safe, stay clear of forest fires.

Report a Wildland Fire

To report a wildland fire located north of the French and Mattawa rivers, please dial 310-FIRE. To report a forest fire located south of the French or Mattawa rivers, please dial 911.

For tips on preventing wildland fires and information on the current fire situation, follow us on Twitter in English and French @ONforestfires and @ONfeudeforet.