News from Thunder Bay: Blaze UPDATE –Ontario’s Northwest Fire Region had108 active wildland blazes as of 6 p.m.
10, including 10 wildfires classified as not under control. The massive Rinker Lake Complex remains the dominant blaze crisis in Northwestern Ontario, with three major wildfires covering a combined378,518 hectares. Farther west, the three blazes making up the Atikokan Cluster cover another119,320 hectares.
One new fire was confirmed since the previous provincial update. Fort Frances 64 (FOR064), located near the Little Turtle River about four kilometres northeast of Riverview Lake, is 0.3 hectares and is under control. According to Ontario’s Aviation, Forest Fire and Urgent situation Services, the 108 active blazes were classified as follows: Fire crews from several provinces and Mexico continue to support Ontario personnel as suppression operations focus on some of the largest blazes in the region. The Rinker Lake Complex consists of the city 36 (THU036), Dryden 34 (DRY034) and Dryden 35 (DRY035).
A number of evacuation orders and alerts remain connected to wildfires in Northwestern Ontario.
A total of29 wildland firefighting crews from Ontario, Alberta, Nova Scotia and Manitobaare assigned to the complex, along with two 20-person firefighting crews from Mexico. Heavy supplies operators, pilots and overhead personnel from Ontario and Quebec are also involved, along with an incident management team. There are currently15 helicoptersassigned to the complex. Crews are patrolling fire areas and extinguishing hot spots while consolidating hose lines, maintaining gear used to protect structures and other values, and constructing helipads to improve access to remote portions of the blazes. Heavy supplies crews continue building fireguards along sections of the THU036 and DRY035 perimeters. Helicopter bucketing operations are being carried out where required. The three blazes remain not under control: Together, the three wildfires cover approximately378,518 hectares. Firefighters working on the Atikokan Cluster are using infrared scan information to locate and extinguish hot spots near fire perimeters and around areas containing structures. The infrared data is collected during the early morning using sensor-equipped aircraft, including drones, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Three crews are also removing hose lines and recovering firefighting supplies from locations across the cluster. Eight helicopters are assigned to the Atikokan blazes. Provincial authorities report low fire behaviour on all three wildfires. On the northern portion of Fort Frances 14, where surface water is limited, FireRanger crews are patrolling the perimeter and using helicopter buckets to extinguish hot spots up to approximately 30 metres inside the fire perimeter. Crews are also patrolling the north and northeast sides of Fort Frances 15, using helicopter bucketing support while working in challenging terrain. A wildland firefighting engine carrying approximately4,000 litres of wateris operating in the Cushing Lake area. There are 103 firefighters assigned to operations across two divisions of Fort Frances 14. The three wildfires remain not under control: The Atikokan Cluster covers approximately119,320 hectares. A number of evacuation orders and alerts remain connected to wildfires in Northwestern Ontario. Provincial spokespersons list measures involving: Residents in affected communities should continue following directions from their community municipalities, First Nations, urgent situation management administration and provincial authorities. Conditions can change quickly as fire behaviour, weather, road accessibility and smoke conditions evolve. NOTAMs — notices to pilots advising of aviation hazards or restrictions — remain in place aroundThunder Bay 36andFort Frances 14, northeast of Byers Lake. These restrictions are in addition to the standard rules governing aircraft operating near wildland blazes. Under Section 601.15 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations, unauthorized aircraft are generally prohibited from flying within five nautical miles of a forest fire and below 3,000 feet above ground level. Keeping private and recreational aircraft away from active wildfires is major because helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft may be operating at low altitudes while transporting personnel or dropping water. Pilots should check current NOTAM information through NAV CANADA before flying in affected areas. A Restricted Fire Zone remains in effect across the Northwest Region and a small portion of the Northeast Region. The restriction took effect July 15 because of high to extreme fire hazard, elevated blaze activity and the number of blazes already demanding provincial firefighting resources. Restricted Fire Zones are intended to reduce the risk of additional human-caused blazes while firefighting resources are committed to existing incidents. People travelling, camping or working in the region should confirm what activities are prohibited before starting any outdoor fire. The size and geographic spread of this year’s blazes continue to put pressure on firefighting crews, aircraft and urgent situation management systems across Northwestern Ontario. The Rinker Lake and Atikokan blazes alone account for almost498,000 hectares of burned or burning forest. Large forest fire complexes can also affect communities well beyond their immediate boundaries. Smoke can reduce air quality hundreds of kilometres away, while evacuation requirements can create significant transportation and accommodation demands in regional centres such as Thunder Bay, Dryden, Fort Frances and Kenora. Wildfires can also affect forestry operations, mining exploration, remote tourism businesses, highway and air transportation, hydro infrastructure and access to remote First Nations. For Indigenous communities, prolonged forest fire seasons can bring repeated evacuation pressures and disrupt access to traditional territories, hunting, fishing and other land-based activities. The deployment of firefighters from across Canada and Mexico also illustrates the scale of resource-sharing increasingly required during serious Canadian blaze seasons. Ontario calculates the regional forest fire danger rating using information collected by more than 130 weather stations across the province’s fire regions. Because temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation influence fire behaviour, the hazard rating can change during the day. Anyone travelling through Northwestern Ontario should check Ontario’s interactive fire map and current crisis information before heading into remote or forested areas. To report a wildland firenorth of the French and Mattawa rivers, call: For blazes south of the French or Mattawa rivers, call911. Current provincial fire information is available through Ontario’s Aviation, Forest Fire and Urgent situation Services and the Ontario forest fire information channels. Source:Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Aviation, Forest Fire and Critical incident Services, Northwest Fire Region update put out Aug.
Community members are encouraged to stay informed and share this information with friends and family. Following trusted local news sources helps ensure everyone stays up to date with events and announcements affecting Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario.
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📍 Source: NetNewsLedger · By: NetNewsLedger Staff · 🗓️ August 11, 2026 · 🏠 ThunderBay.Online
