UPDATE #2, FRIDAY AT 2:00PM:
First, the good news on the forest fire just east of Nellie Lake that burned overnight: It’s out.
We get that word from Iroquois Falls Fire Chief Dan Boucher, who says his firefighters and the MNRF have all pulled out.
“Our people will be monitoring it for the next couple of days, but all the hot spots are gone,” the chief confirms.
There’s a bit of bad news, however, right on time for the weekend, for anyone within the municipal boundaries of the Falls.
“Any outdoor fire is on a total ban right now,” Chief Boucher confirms that that includes backyard fire bowls or fire pits and is effective immediately.
The other fire of concern overnight – just west of Highway 655 and southwest of Big Water Lake – is still listed by the MNRF interactive map as being held at 3.1 hectares. That’s about the size of three major league ball parks.
FRIDAY MORNING UPDATE:
The two forest fires in our area that sparked up yesterday at noon hour and suppertime are less of a threat today.
The first one is north of the built-up area of Timmins… just west of Highway 655 and southwest of Big Water Lake. The MNRF now considers it “being held”.
And the one near Nellie Lake is “under control”. It’s close to the Iroquois Falls landfill site, but public works director Steve Poliquin says it’s not in the dump itself.
The forest fire hazard around Timmins is extreme and high in the area encompassing the Nellie Lake blaze.
Natural resources ministry water bombers were quickly dispatched to fight two forest fires in our region Thursday.
At noon hour, a fire was reported north of Timmins, just west of Hwy. 655 and southwest of Big Water Lake.
Then at suppertime came a fire just east of Nellie Lake in the vicinity of the Iroquois Falls landfill, off Jacob’s Hill and Bell Telephone Roads.
As of late last night, the Big Water fire was listed as being held at a touch over three hectares. The Nellie Lake blaze was estimated to cover one hectare, but still not under control. A hectare is about the size of the average major league baseball field.
Big Water was the source for bombers on that fire to fill up, and Nellie Lake for that one.
