Lightning contributing factor in recent northwest wildfires: province

Lightning is suspected to be behind a weekend spike in the number of wildfires burning in northwestern Ontario, the province said.

Eleven new wildfires were reported in the region as of Sunday evening. Of those, eight were located in the Red Lake fire management area.

"Presently, there are 35 active fires in the Northwest Region," Chris Marchand, fire information officer with Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES), said in an email to CBC News on Monday afternoon.

Of those 35 fires, 13 were listed as not under control, two were being held, six under control, and 14 being observed. Ten fires had been called out over the previous 24 hours, Marchand stated.

"Recent lightning is suspected to be a contributing factor in these new fire starts," he said. "In pockets where drought conditions may be lingering in the soil, fires can emerge days later after a lighting strike when surface conditions eventually dry out."

Marchand said with recent lightning in the past few days and more unsettled weather expected in the coming days, they expect to see new fires.

FireRanger crews had made "excellent progress" with the most recent fires, however, thanks in part to higher relative humidity and recent rainfall in the northwest.

Meanwhile, crews continue to work on Red Lake 12, which is located near Deer Lake and Sandy Lake First Nations.

The fire is more than 195,000 hectares in size, and not under control, but due to recent rainfall, fire behaviour was low, AFFES said.

Twenty-three crews are assigned to the fire, with support from helicopters.

Elsewhere, Sioux Lookout 18, which is burning near Cat Lake First Nation, is about 23,600 hectares and not under control. It's showing "minimal fire behaviour," AFFES said.

AFFES is also reminding people to keep fire prevention in mind during the Canada Day holiday by keeping campfires small, sheltered from wind, and a safe distance from surrounding vegetation.

And anyone planning on setting off fireworks during the holiday is advised to do so in an area that's free of flammable materials — such as over a lake or gravel — and to have fire suppression equipment on-hand. When the fireworks show is over, people are advised to check the area for any hot residue and put it out.