Fire crews continue to battle Kawartha Lakes, Ont. fires
1 fire burning out of control, another considered under control, 3rd has been contained
Fire officials say crews have not been able to contain the wildfire in the Kirkfield area of Kawartha Lakes, Ont. as hot weather persists, with no rain in area overnight.
The Ministry of Natural Resources has been assisting the municipality with the roughly 33.5-hectare fire that has been burning out of control since it began on Monday, the city said Thursday in a news release.
Dry and hot weather conditions led to four significant fires in the area in the past week.
The fire in Burnt River is still active, but it's now classified as being held, officials say. In a statement, Kawartha Lakes Fire Service Chief Jeff Bignell thanked crews that have been fighting the fire that began last Saturday.
"We sincerely thank all Firefighters, FireRangers, flight crews, emergency responders, Public Works and support staff for your assistance over the past several days. It has been a challenging operation, and we continue to work to suppress within the 27 hectare boundary," Bignell said.
Additionally, a third fire in the Head Lake area, which is 4.5 hectares in size, has been classified as under control, the city said.
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At an unrelated news conference Thursday, Premier Doug Ford said the province is buying new water bombers and helicopters to increase firefighting resources across Ontario.
"Right now, everywhere seems to have issues, every single province," Ford said. "So, we are putting more money in ... but we need to do it quicker … we need to ramp up everything possible."
Ford said he spoke Prime Minister Mark Carney regarding beefing up firefighting resources last month in Huntsville, and plans to follow up with him soon.
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Possible lightning strikes a concern
Kawartha Lakes Mayor Doug Elmslie said officials are cautiously optimistic about the situation.
"We hope to hear news by the end of the day that progress has been made in that [Kirkfield] area," Elmslie said. "With the Burnt River fire, I'm reminded that conditions are still very dry and we are probably one lightning strike away from being right back in the soup again," the mayor said.
Environment Canada says some rain is expected this weekend in Southern Ontario, and that precipitation could help firefighting efforts, said Evan Lizotte, a fire information officer with the Ministry of Natural Resources.
"However, if there is lightning that is also involved, we will be monitoring any lightning strikes in the area," Lizotte said at a Thursday news conference.
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The city is urging people to avoid the fire areas and said road closures remain in effect on County Road 49 between County Road 121 and Bury's Green, as well as along Prospect Road from 1304 north to 1375.
If residents spot any smoke, they're asked to call 705-324-2191 instead of 911, the release said.
The total fire ban across Kawartha Lake is still in effect.
This article, written by Maya Fernandez, was originally published for CBC News. Header image courtesy of the City of Kawartha Lakes.