The red square marks the spot where a growing wildfire is burning close to Algonquin Park, marked in light green.
Hot Spots A Concern in Fire
Firefighters are determined to control hot spots in a blaze on CFB Petawawa near Algonquin Provincial Park. The fire is contained, but crews are concerned about potential hot spots flaring up. Bone-dry conditions and extreme heat at the site northwest of Pembroke continue to challenge firefighters.
The fire was discovered Thursday, and more than 30 area residents were evacuated. Roads in the area have been blocked, but homeowners were allowed back on Saturday.
On Thursday, Algonquin park officials had issued an open fire ban for campers as a precaution, because dry conditions in the region had made the area susceptible to brush fires.
By Friday an evacuation notice was issued, affecting the eastern portion of the park. Roughly 400 campers and canoers in the area were given four hours to pack up and leave, reports the CBC.
Ministry of Natural Resources spokesman Doug Skeggs said getting people out of the interior of the park can be a challenge.
“The campground was easy, you just tell people to leave and the get in their cars,” said Skeggs. “But when you have people on multi-day trips on those interior canoe routes, it gets tough. But we think we now have everyone out of that Achray area of eastern Algonquin.”
The fire is in a desolate area of the Petewa Canadian Base that is used for training purposes and expands to almost 350 square kilometers.
Three firefighters had to be taken to the hospital for heat related conditions.
The cause of the blaze has not been determined.
