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
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.