The crews fighting the forest fires in northern Ontario still involve a large group from outside of the province.
Many B.C.-based crews have now headed back to their own province to deal with the fire situation there, but Ontario crews are still getting plenty of help, some of it from very far away.
Currently there are still over 100 firefighters from out-of-province helping assist with the fire situation.
Shayne McCool is a fire information officer with Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
"Most of those are Mexican firefighters, who will continue their firefighting operations here. And at the end of their duties, they will likely return home or if they are needed for another round, then we will make that assessment as well. Our fire situation now in the northeast is a lot better than it was a month ago, but we are still continuing to use our resources to be effective with new fires as they are found." said McCool.
Ian Staley is an MNRF fire behaviour analyst.
He explains what it takes to become a member of a forest fire fighting crew.
"There's a provincial application process, and then one must get what we call the S100 course. It's a fire crew member training, as well as chainsaw training, and first aid. Those are the basics a person must come with and then progress through with experience, become a crew boss, and then an initial attack and instant commander." said Staley.
Officials with the MNRF say the restricted fire zone still remains in effect in certain parts of the northeast region.
"The Greater Sudbury region, over to North Bay, as far north as Temagami, beyond Cartier, as well as in the Parry Sound area. We have received some rainfall, but that rainfall has been very scattered in nature so it may not have necessarily fallen in all the areas." said McCool.
He says the MNRF will continue to assess the dryness of the forest
