Wildfire season underway, as province, northern fire departments prepare to fight blazes

It may not look like it, but wildfire season officially began April 1.

Fire information officer Evan Lizotte, with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s (MNRF) northeast forest fire management centre, said the province has action plans ready to battle blazes.

That is, once the snow melts.

Lizotte said it's shaping up to be another slow season, potentially comparable to last year.

"(In 2022), we only had 275 fires that burned 2,560 hectares, which is a very, relatively slow season for us,” said Lizotte.

“However, the season before that, in 2021, there was over 1,200 fires that burned 780,000 hectares. So, the seasons can very much vary. I think it's just staying prepared for the worst-case scenario, so that, if it does come, that we're ready for it."

Lizotte said with the province being renowned worldwide for its forest fire protocols, the ministry’s crews are ready to respond to the worst of wildfires -- even though it’s short-staffed.

The ministry is looking to hire more fire rangers, he said, extending its hiring window to mid-May.

However, Ontario can also call on crews from other provinces and internationally to fill in any gaps.

Existing crews undergo refresher training in the spring, Lizotte said, including for hover exits, slings and chainsaws, and daily fitness.

The MNRF also works with municipal fire crews. Timmins' fire chief Bernie Stansa said his crews train to battle wildfires and that part of his planning as the city’s emergency manager includes monitoring local water levels.

"Based on, not just the snow, but the water content in the snow, that determines how we anticipate the spring to be, in terms of forest fires,” said Stansa, having just wrapped up a meeting with the local conservation authority.

“So far this year, the water content is down from last year, but that's not to say you're not going to get a crazy rainstorm or whatever. That changes things."

Heavy snowfall can be a factor as well, he said.

Stansa said both city and MNRF fire crews will help each other in battling flames, as needed.

And officials remind the public that everyone has a role to play, by following local fire codes.

Provincial data shows that humans are responsible for about half of all wildfires.