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Posted: May 21, 2021 6:30 AM ET | Last Updated: May 21 A Northwest Region CL-415 Airtanker in action near Dryden. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is responding to a number of forest fires throughout the northwest.(Submitted by Chris Marchand) Local and provincial fire crews say they are keeping a close watch on the forest fire situation across northwestern Ontario, and are reminding residents of fire safety measures ahead of the Victoria Day long weekend. Earlier this week, the fire hazard across the region was considered to be extreme, but has since quieted down to low or moderate conditions following rainfall across the region Thursday. ....
The forest fire hazard across the region is high to extreme. Article continues below advertisement ↴ Kenora Fire and Emergency Services responded to a forest fire east of Evergreen Public School Wednesday evening. The call came in around 8 p.m. and was escalated by the responding crew to an all-stations call based on the number of flames seen from the road, the high winds, and proximity to homes. Fire crews were able to get a hose line around the fire and contain the spread of the fire to the forested area, said Kenora Fire Chief Todd Skene. Officials say the cause of the fire was a campfire that got away from the person. ....
File photo of fire crews responding to a brush fire. Article continues below advertisement ↴ Kenora Fire and Emergency Services responded to a grass/forest fire behind Kenora GM earlier this week. Kenora Fire Chief Todd Skene says fire crews brought the fire under control quickly. Fire crews actioned it quickly and were able to get a hose line around the fire and contain it to about half a hectare, there was some crowning in trees, said Chief Skene. There were no reports of property damage or injuries and the cause of the fire is undetermined. Residents are reminded to be cautious when burning or discarding cigarettes as the forest fire hazard remains high in the Kenora area. ....
The City of Kenora has hired Kent Readman as its next fire chief. He replaces Todd Skene who retires in June. Readman comes from the Dryden Fire Service where he is the Fire Chief and Community Emergency Management Coordinator for the Dryden Fire Service. Readman has served his profession in the capacity of Volunteer Firefighter, Captain, Training Officer, Director of Emergency Services, Health and Safety Coordinator, Deputy Fire Chief and Fire Chief. He is an Adjunct Instructor with the Ontario Fire College. “I am really looking forward to joining the team in Kenora. The City has progressive and supportive leadership and the City of Kenora Fire and Emergency Service is a highly dedicated group committed to protecting the residents and visitors of the city. The fire service in north western Ontario is a close-knit community and I’m excited to continue to be a part of that” stated Chief Readman. ....
Article content Several experts have chimed in that, as northwestern Ontario transitions into spring, severely dry conditions spell several fire-related risks and dangers for its forests and communities, especially as the controlled burning in season begins. According to warning preparedness meteorologist Geoff Coulson with Environment Canada, the northwest has been drier than usual stemming back to September 2020, which the meteorological service of Canada recognized as an anomaly. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Try refreshing your browser. Experts warn that dry conditions mean fire danger Back to video “The area normally doesn’t get a lot of precipitation in the winter months, but with that said, it’s been even dryer than normal in the area for a number of months,” Coulson said. “The dryer-than-normal conditions have become even more pronounced than they were in the winter.” ....