Many provincial parks are also under a total fire ban and six have closed in the northeast, including the latest, Grundy Lake Provincial Park near Britt.
A mandatory evacuation order was put in place at Grundy last Friday and affected campers will get a refund or can rebook for another time.
Still with the story, air quality warnings have been put in place as far west as Espanola due to the smoke from the fires in the North Bay, Temiskaming, French/Key and Pickerel Rivers area.
Go to: www.ontarioparks.com/alerts for park status and to cancel a reservation at Grundy, call 1-888-668-7275.
Other provincial parks that are closed include Makobe-Grays River, Lady-Evelyn Smoothwater, Obabika River, Solace in Capreol and Sturgeon River.
Lady-Evelyn Smoothwater, Sturgeon River and Solace provincial parks are interconnected. On Thursday, July 26th, the Ministry of Natural Resources listed the Lady Evelyn fire cluster as not under control.
That fire now measures approximately 27,579 hectares.
French River Provincial Park is under a full fire ban and the vistor’s centre remains closed. According to the MNRF, all campers have been or are being evacuated west of Highway 69/400. Permit sales for the French River Delta and Pickerel River areas have been suspended and park entry is restricted everywhere west of the highway. That fire is just over 8,200 hectares in size as of Sunday, July 29th.
THE BAN: The restricted fire zones in the parks means that a total ban on open fires remains in effect and campfires are not permitted at any time. Charcoal barbeques or biomass units using natural burning fuels (i.e. sticks, twigs, pinecones, etc.) are not permitted. Candles of any type are not permitted.
Portable outdoor living gas or propane fire pits or fire bowls manufactured for the intended purpose of outdoor ambience and recreational enjoyment that produce a flame are not permitted. However, portable gas/propane/naphtha stoves or barbeques that have a fuel source with a control valve may still be used.
