Another northern Ont. resident charged for illegal backyard fire, 5th in one week
A fifth person in northern Ontario has been charged in less than a week for having a campfire during the fire ban.
Due to the extreme forest fire hazard and growing number of blazes, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry declared most of the northeast region a restricted fire zone on June 1, which makes open-air burning illegal, including campfires.
However, some residents aren't getting the message.
Officers from the East Algoma detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police were called to help the Blind River Fire Department at a home shortly after 9:15 p.m. Wednesday.
"Upon police arrival, the fire in the backyard was extinguished and officers located a person who was belligerent and upset at members of the fire department because they couldn't have a fire," OPP said in a news release Thursday morning.
As a result, a 35-year-old man has been charged with unlawfully starting a fire in a restricted fire zone which comes with a fine of $880.
Depending on the circumstances, a person found to have illegally set a fire for any purpose in an affected restricted fire zone could face a fine of up to $25,000, three months in jail and financial responsibility for any costs incurred in fighting a forest fire.
"Algoma OPP have responded to recent calls for service related to fire bans around the East Algoma area. In the current dry conditions, these are serious matters that put lives, property and infrastructure at risk. There will be zero tolerance for any open-air burning, including campfires during the current Restricted Fire Zone and we will continue to support our local fire departments", said OPP Insp. Tyler Sturgeon.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent right to your inbox
Since May 31, three people from Elliot Lake and one person from Otto Township in the Timiskaming District have been charged for having a campfire during the fire ban. Two of those from Elliot Lake were charged under the municipal fire ban the day before the regional one went into effect.
FIRE STATISTICS
In the last 24 hours, there have been seven new wildfires in northern Ontario – two in the northeast and five in the northwest.
One fire of note is Kirkland Lake 5, which is located eight km north of Lady Evelyn Smoothwater and 10 km south of Highway 65, started around 3:20 p.m. Wednesday and grew to 500 ha in just a few hours.
As of Thursday morning, there are 56 active wildfires in northern Ontario – 34 in the northeast and 22 in the northwest. Of those, 27 are not under control.
Four of the largest forest fires in the northeast -- Wawa 3, Cochrane 6 and 7 and Timmins 7 -- have not grown in size, but are not yet under control.
Chapleau 3 more than doubled Wednesday to 1,531 ha and Sudbury 10 more than tripled Wednesday to 403 ha.
As of Wednesday, there have been a total of 189 wildfires in the region since April 12 and 133 have been extinguished. A total of 42,041 ha have been burned as a result.
- Wildfire smoke causing poor air quality in the north
- Can face masks help protect you from wildfire smoke? Health expert explains
- Wildfire evacuation order west of Sudbury, Ont., expands, highway closed
- Facing evacuations due to a forest fire or flood? Here's what to pack in a grab-and-go bag
- Here's what you need to do before you leave your house in a forest fire-prompted evacuation
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.