EAST REGION-2010 Forest Fire Summary
The 2010 forest fire season ended on October 31 and provincially, the fire statistics show 929 fires and 14, 823 hectares burned. Provincially the final cost was approximately $99.7 million compared to approx $92 million last year as the result of 60 percent more fires occurring in 2010.
During the 2010 forest fire season, Ontario FireRangers marked their 125th year of service to the province. In 1885, Ontario introduced a team of dedicated staff ready to serve and protect people, their property and the province’s forests. This group started with 37 trained professionals and has grown to over 800 FireRangers serving at over 30 locations across Ontario.
Out of province assistance was provided by Ontario during the 2010 forest fire season to support Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories and, most extensively, British Columbia. Support to British Columbia marked the third largest dispatch of Ontario resources in Ontario’s history. In 2009, an even larger sharing of resources occurred! Approximately 750 staff participated in 2010, with a total number of person days of about 10,000 (In 2009, the dispatched involved one thousand staff and 21,000 person days.)
East Fire Region Summary
The East Fire Region (EFR) recorded 558 fires burning 5207 hectares during the 2010 fire season. One hundred and forty-one fires were caused by human activity including improperly extinguished campfires and grass and/or brush burning. In total crews responded to 289 human caused fires. Lightning was the cause of 267 fires in the EFR while two were classified as unknown.
The 2010 fire season began with numerous intense fires in the East Fire Region. The EFR had its first fire on March 15. The cause of the unusually early spring fire season was very low snowfall levels throughout the winter and next to no rain in the spring.
Chapleau 10, reported on May 12 exhibited extreme fire behaviour. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.
Even though the 2010 fire season was extremely busy, East Fire Region FireRangers and other staff assisted other provinces experiencing extended busy periods including Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia.
The East Fire Region, during the peak of the fire season, received assistance from other provinces including fire fighters from British Columbia and aircraft from Alberta, Quebec and the Northwest Territories.
Wawa 18 was one of the fires that had a significant impact on residents. This fire was reported on May 27 and when air attack arrived on the scene the fire was a full crown fire. The fire burned across the hydro line that supplies power to the Town of Chapleau and knocked out their power. By the end of the day, the fire had grown to approximately two thousand hectares. Fire and hydro officials worked together to restore power to the Town of Chapleau. The final size of the fire was 2300 hectares.
Fire personnel and FireRangers from the East Fire Region attended the seventh annual Canadian Fallen Firefighters Memorial Ceremony in Ottawa this September. Nine Canadian fire fighters who lost their lives in the line of duty were honoured. The aim of the Canadian Fallen Firefighter Foundation (CFFF) is to honour all firefighters and is all inclusive. The CFFF pays tribute to firefighters who are volunteer/part-time, full-time, industry, military, urban, rural, wildland, Aboriginal, airport and marine. Each year hundreds of firefighters from across Canada come to the ceremony to pay tribute to those that have fallen.
The East Fire Region conducted one high complexity prescribed burn and two low complexity prescribed burns this season. The Ojibway prescribed burn is conducted to ensure the protection and continuation of a unique example of tallgrass prairie and prairie/savannah environment in Ontario. One low complexity burn was conducted by the North Bay Fire Management Headquarters and the other by the Haliburton Fire Management Headquarters. In all, over 30 prescribed burns were approved this year to be done by MNR and non-MNR within the East Fire Region. Over 20 burns were conducted. Some were cancelled due to unfavourable weather.
Ojibway prescribed burn, 2010. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.
Fire staff and FireRangers also took part in the filming of a large format Science North film titled Wildfire! Filming took place in Ranger Lake, Sault Ste. Marie and various other locations. For more information visit the Science North website.
Fire personnel at districts across the region also provided interagency wildfire training to volunteer firefighters and municipal fire departments. They also worked to deliver FireSmart messages.
Now that the forest fire season has come to an end a fire permit is no longer required for day burning of woody debris or grass if you live outside of a municipality. If you do live within a municipality, contact your local municipal office before burning. It is important to continue to Be FireSmart.
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