7 May 1999

Several active fire signals and smoke plumes are recorded by OSEI on 6 May 1999.

Fig.1. NOAA image of the vegetation fires and smoke plumes in Ontario, Canada on 6 May 1999
(Source: NOAA http://www.osei.noaa.gov/)

Figure 1 shows heat signatures from areas of fire burning in Ontario. The hot spots are visible between areas of cloud cover and more hot spots are likely present beneath the clouds to the south. Smoke from these fires is visible but difficult to distinguish from high cloud cover in the area. Annotation is provided to help identify the hot spots and smoke.

In Northern Ontario, a 16,000 hectare fire has already driven 300 people from their homes in the village of Beardmore near Lake Nipigon. But firefighters are hoping for rain. More evacuations of other towns in northern Ontario are not unlikely. The fire season stared this year a little earlier in northern Ontario, but the winter was relatively mild and the spring dry.

Northwest of Ottawa soldiers and firefighters are trying to contain two large fires on Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, and trying to keep the fires from spreading into Algonquin Park.

In Manitoba more than 60 fires are currently burning. Approximately 34,000 hectares in the province have been burned by 171 fires.

The 11 forest fires burning inthe south of New Brunswick are under control and the forest fire index remains “high to extrem” in this area.

Due to dry weather during the recent days the forest fire index for Prince Edward Island is “high”. Therefore, all burning permits thoroughout the province are void.

In the western part of Nova Scotia burning permits are no longer issued for seven counties.

Because of very little snow or rain this past winter and spring, predictions for a forest fire summer are given.

The information flow to the GFMC was kindly supported by John Anderson, Calgary.

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24. November 2017/by GFMCadmin