Wet weather may have tempered the forest fire hazard in parts of the Northwest Region, though a Restricted Fire Zone remains in effect across the region for the Victoria Day long weekend.
There was one new fire in the Northwest Region by the afternoon of May 18. The short-lived 0.1 hectare grass fire, located north of the city of Thunder Bay, has been put out.
Rains over Thursday night helped FireRanger crews get the upper hand on a few remaining lightning-caused fires which emerged in the northern part of the Kenora District earlier in the week. Rainfall in the past 48 hours brought a low hazard in Kenora and Dryden Districts. Fort Frances District ranges from a low hazard in its eastern reaches to areas of moderate and high hazard ratings moving west. The southern portion of the Thunder Bay district failed to receive significant precipitation overnight resulting in a high to moderate hazard by the afternoon of May 18.
Forest fire officials remind the public that rainfall can have short-lived effects on the forest fire hazard rating particularly in spring when forest fuels dry out quickly. An end to the Restricted Fire Zone would require several days of steady rains.
As of Saturday morning, most regional forecasts predict a cool and damp Saturday, followed by sunshine and rising temperatures for the rest of the long weekend and into next week. Forecast highs of 21 and 22 through the weekend will be followed by increasing warmth of as much as 28 by mid week.
