An unusually busy forest fire season across northwestern Ontario.
The fire season officially wrapped up on Wednesday, with a total of 839 forest fires extinguished in our region this year.
A total of 213,695 hectares of land was consumed.
The government spent over $100-million on forest fighting efforts this year, $30-million more than annual budgeting.
In the Legislature, Natural Resources and Forestry Minister Jeff Yurek thanked all firefighters for their service and dedication.
Yurek also took time to thank and remember the late Jerry Gadwa, from the Kehewin Cree First Nation, who died in July while helping to fight a forest fire near Red Lake.
He says his efforts are a tragic reminder of the dangers fire crews face.
(Picture: Jerry Gadwa via Facebook)
