Fire ban declared in northern Ontario
An open-air fire ban declared by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry in the north due to extreme forest fire hazard went into effect at midnight.
A restricted fire zone has been declared as of June 1 at 12:01 a.m. for the following areas:
- Atikokan
- Blind River
- Bracebridge
- Chapleau
- Cochrane
- Dryden
- Far North, northwest and southeast portions
- Fort Francis
- Geraldton
- Hearst
- Ignace
- Kapuskasing
- Kenora
- Kirkland Lake
- Minden
- Nipigon
- North Bay
- Parry Sound
- Pembroke
- Peterborough/Bancroft district, northern portion
- Red Lake
- Sault Ste. Marie
- Sioux Lookout
- Sudbury
- Thunder Bay
- Timmins
- Wawa
"No open-air burning, including campfires, is permitted within the boundaries of a Restricted Fire Zone. Portable gas or propane stoves may be used for cooking and warmth BUT must be handled with extreme caution. All burning permits are suspended," the MNRF said.
Here is a full list of outdoor fire restrictions.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Other northeastern communities have also issued municipal fire bans:
- Elliot Lake
- Hornepayne
- Killarney
- Muskoka
FOREST FIRES IN THE NORTHEAST
Three new forest fires were confirmed in the northeast Wednesday.
In the Timmins MNRF district, an 8.5-hectare fire began Wednesday night and is not under control.
One located about 25 kilometres northwest of Kirkland Lake and about two km east of Malloch Lake is being held at two hectares.
A one-hectare fire began in the Sudbury District on Wednesday night and is being held.
There are also three active fires in the northeast as of Thursday morning.
Both Wawa 2 and 3 are not yet under control. Wawa 2 remains at 105 hectares, while Wawa 3 is at 5,770.4 hectares.
A 45-hectare fire in the Cochrane District that started May 28 is being observed.
With the hot and dry conditions over the last week and the possible thunderstorms in the forecast, we could see more.
HIGHWAY 631 REOPENED
Highway 631, a critical road to the community of Hornepayne, reopened Wednesday just before 5 p.m.
Fire and smoke were causing visibility issues forcing the road to close
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Poilievre calls for Trudeau to apologize over Speaker's Nazi invite as MPs begin jockeying for the job
While Anthony Rota won't be in the big chair presiding over House of Commons proceedings on Wednesday, it is his last sitting day holding the title of Speaker and already the jockeying for his job has begun. And while some of the initial acrimony has calmed, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is continuing to push for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to apologize on Canada's behalf.
Canada grew faster than any G7 country this year, thanks to immigrants: StatCan
Thanks to immigrants, Canada was likely one of the fastest growing countries in the world between July 1, 2022 and July 1, 2023, according to a new Statistics Canada report.
Password sharing will no longer be an option for Disney+ users. Here’s when
Streaming platform Disney+ is updating its subscriber agreement and is adding a no-sharing passwords policy.
Details leading up to Hardeep Singh Nijjar's death revealed
A long-time, close friend of Hardeep Singh Nijjar says the Sikh activist found a tracking device underneath his car before he was killed outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in June.
U.S. soldier who sprinted into North Korea 2 months ago is in American custody, officials say
The U.S. soldier who sprinted into North Korea across the heavily fortified border between the Koreas two months ago was released into American custody Wednesday, according to two officials.
Hundreds of derelict vessels removed from Canadian waters, Coast Guard says
The Canadian Coast Guard is working its way through a Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act inventory, armed with the power to fine owners of vessels that threaten marine environments or public safety.
Ontario widower stuck with US$100K+ medical bill after late wife hospitalized on vacation
An Ontario widower, still grieving his wife's death, is unsure how to pay for a medical bill from their last vacation to Florida, which costs more than US$124,000.
Company at centre of E. coli outbreak at Calgary daycares faces licensing charges
The City of Calgary says it has charged a catering company and school lunch delivery service provider at the centre of an E. coli outbreak affecting several daycares, as health authorities zeroed in on a likely source of the infections.
ER doctor challenging 'toxic environment' in Ontario hospital after secret investigation based on unfounded murder allegation
After more than 30 years of caring for critically ill patients in emergency and intensive care, Dr. Scott Anderson is preparing to face off against the hospital where he works in London, Ont., in a case described as "unusual" by lawyers and potentially costly for Ontario taxpayers.