Evacuation order issued as Lac de Mille Lacs wildfire tops 55,000 hectares
A mandatory evacuation order, also called an Emergency Area Order (EAO), has been issued for an area south of Lac de Mille Lacs to Highway 11 as the Fort Frances 14 wildfire continues to burn out of control.
The area is contained within Windigoostigwan Lake Road, Brule Road, Lily Lake Road, and Chief Peter Lake Road.
The Ministry of Natural Resources has put special emergency restrictions in place around the fire to keep people safe and give firefighters room to work. The order limits access to affected roads, waterways, and Crown land near the fire.
The EOA took effect at 7 a.m. on July 17 and will remain in place until further notice.
At more than 55,000 hectares, this fire is burning between Highway 17 and Highway 11, with its closest point about five kilometres south of the Trans-Canada Highway.
The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) says all people within the designated evacuation zone must leave immediately unless authorized through a travel permit issued by the ministry. Entry into the evacuation area is also prohibited without authorization.
There is also a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued in the area of the Fort Frances 14 wildfire. Pilots are being told to stay away from the area because firefighting aircraft need the airspace to operate safely.
Authorities are reminding pilots that NOTAMs concerning forest fires can be found on NavCanada’s Collaborative Flight Planning Services under the ‘Weather and NOTAM’ tab, when flight planning.
More to come…
